2010 marked the official launch of the European Higher Education Area. Currently, it includes 48 countries, with the membership now extending to states in Central Asia. With the increasing diversity in mind, one may ask how successful the Bologna process was (and is) in promoting the shared European vision of higher education, and what does ‘European’ signify in this context? Do all countries participate equally in the Bologna process, or do differences (in access to the EC’s Lifelong Learning Programme, level of national education systems’ reforms or even time of accession to the process) play a role in their capability to contribute to agenda-setting and strategic steering? Basically, is the European Higher Education Area a single space or is it fragmented into multiple areas?

Some authors have asserted that the transitional nature of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe makes reforming their education systems more complex and demanding than reforming their counterparts in Western Europe. Has this been confirmed in practice, and if yes, what are the possible explanations? With the Bologna secretariat in Bucharest, is it expected that the region will come to play a more significant role, and if yes, what kind of role it may be? Finally, what are the next steps awaiting the European Higher Education Area, and what issues can be expected to be in focus in the upcoming period?

Source: The European Higher Education Area from the perspective of CEE countries - Agenda