Introduction

Abstract

This book provides a political science perspective on the current reforms in higher education governance with a particular focus on the countries of central and eastern Europe and the Bologna Process. Questions of how to effectively steer and regulate higher education systems have been circulating in the academic debate on higher education policy for several decades. And in particular since the beginning of the Bologna Process, a myriad of internal and external pressures have compelled domestic policy-makers and academic observers to question the raison d’être, role, and the purpose of national systems of higher education (HE). The phenomena of ‘massification’, fiercer international competition, and internationalization have not only led to challenges of unprecedented complexity, but also laid bare the revelation that national systems of higher education are often at odds with the demands of internationalization and changing socio-economic environments. Consequently, the transformation of higher education can presently be found on the political agenda of nearly every European country. New governmental strategies, increased media attention, current legislation, and public debates all seem to stress that higher education must adapt, face competitive demands, diversify, and improve efficiency by means of new governance and management arrangements (Gornitzka and Maasen 2000: 217).