In this paper we develop an axiomatic approach to structured specifications in which both the underlying logical system and corresponding institution of the structured specifications are treated as abstract institutions, which means two levels of institution independence. This abstract axiomatic approach provides a uniform framework for the study of structured specifications independently from any actual choice of specification building operators, and moreover it unifies the theory and the model oriented approaches. Within this framework we develop concepts and results about ‘abstract structured specifications ’ such as co-limits, model amalgamation, compactness, interpolation, sound and complete proof theory, and pushout-style parameterization with sharing, all of them in a top down manner dictated by the upper level of institution independence. 1.

model theoretic framework of the theory of institutions. For this semantics we develop a generic interpolation result which can be easily applied to various concrete situations from the theory and practice of specification and programming. Our study of interpolation is motivated by a number of important applications to computing science especially in the area of structured specifications. 1.