The aim of this article is to explore the effects of the Istitutional Forum, a recent governance innovation legislated in South Africa in 1997, as a mechanism that contributes toward the democratisation of university governance. Forums were established to confront the legacy of structured disadvantage and to reorient the educational experience towards greater horizontal accountability. The article provides commentary on the Forum’s impact vis-a-vis participative ethos and deliberative democracy against the backdrop of the South African government’s post-apartheid commitments. Findings reveal challenges in the Forum’s make-up and implementation that are linked to its degree of influence. Ultimately, the conclusions convey perspectives on role ambiguity and conflictual power dynamics.

中文翻译：

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走向协商民主：制度论坛作为南非高等教育的创新共享治理机制

本文的目的是探讨Istitutional论坛（一种最近于1997年在南非立法的治理创新）的作用，作为有助于大学治理民主化的机制。建立论坛是为了应对结构性劣势的遗留问题，并使教育经验转向更大的横向问责制。本文就南非政府在种族隔离后的承诺背景下论坛对参与式精神和协商民主的影响发表评论。调查结果揭示了论坛构成和实施中的挑战，这些挑战与其影响程度有关。最终，这些结论传达了关于角色模糊性和冲突动力动态的观点。