Policy Entrepreneurship in EU Higher Education: Process, Actions, Identities

Abstract

The idea of the Europe of Knowledge is recurrent, as we see from the preceding account. What kept bringing it back to the policy-makers’ agenda? This account of policy change on higher education within the European Community (EC) institutions draws attention to a factor in the higher education literature. There were almost always well-placed individuals playing an innovative and entrepreneurial role to advance the idea of Community role in higher education. This happened over almost every policy cycle accounted for here since 1955, regardless of the very different historical circumstances. The evidence invites us to make the generalisation that there are almost always politically skilled individuals to respond in specific contextual and institutional circumstances to the opportunity to advance policy ideas.