Laboratories of reform? The Europeanization and internationalization of higher education in Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract

This introductory article deals with higher education (HE) transformations in Central and Eastern Europe in the context of democratization and globalization. The authors first briefly survey the wider canvas of reform since 1989, particularly probing the extent to which the countries of the region may be treated as a distinctive or a cohesive group. Diverging experiences with communism, international organizations and the European Union are highlighted, while attention is also focused on the differing degrees of marketization exhibited by academic systems across the region. Yet, notwithstanding such differences, it is clear that the countries of the region emerge as distinctive ‘laboratories of reform’, privileged sites for understanding the interplay of external and domestic influences in the reshaping of the HE sector. Drawing on the findings of our contributors, the second part of the article then turns to understanding the domestic mediation of the processes of Europeanization and internationalization, identifying a series of key factors broadly discussed in terms of structures, norms and actors. This special issue thus aims to refine our understanding of HE transformations and internationalization in a post-authoritarian context. It further contributes more generally to debates on Europeanization and policy transfer in the field.

Keywords:

• Europeanization
• internationalization
• Central and East European countries (CEECs)
• Bologna Process/EHEA

Notes on contributors

Dorota Dakowska is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Strasbourg, Sciences Po, SAGE (Société, Acteurs, Gouvernement en Europe). Her current research deals with HE reform, Europeanization and internationalization with a specific focus on Poland. She has published on EU eastern enlargement, transnational party cooperation and German political foundations. Address for correspondence: [email protected]

Robert Harmsen is Professor of Political Science at the University of Luxembourg. His current research focuses on European and international HE policy, directing the ‘Global-Uni’ research project. He has published extensively in the field of European governance, particularly in the areas of Europeanization, Euroscepticism and the European human rights regime. Address for correspondence: [email protected]

Notes

1. We would like to thank all the institutions that have supported our project at different stages: CIERA (Centre interdisciplinaire d’études et de recherches sur l'Allemagne; Interdisciplinary Centre for German Studies), the University of Strasbourg (SAGE) and the University of Luxembourg (‘Global-Uni’ project). We thank all the participants and discussants who participated in these events and also the colleagues who have provided us with insightful comments, especially Ioana Cîrstocea, Manja Klemenčič and Martina Vukasović. Thanks to Jean-Yves Bart for his help with the linguistic revision of three contributions.