Europeanization and internationalisation of Higher Education (HE) policies have triggered a vivid scholarly interest over the past years. The Bologna Process, followed by the Lisbon Strategy, has turned academic attention towards the European level. Another research strand has focused on the global dynamics shaping the educational field with policies promoted by international organisations such as the OECD, UNESCO, the Council of Europe and the World Bank on the one hand and the development of international rankings on the other hand. There are many common elements in narratives, which prone the “modernisation” of academic governance, a stronger “market relevance” of HE and diversification through the promotion of academic excellence and the race towards the creation of “world class” universities. However these policies have also been criticised. The growing marketization of HE has triggered the fear of a retreat of the state from the sector, highlighted by the economic crisis.

This panel aims to discuss the joint impact of European and international processes on HE policies and policymakers including the academics themselves. It welcomes theoretical reflections based on empirical research linking the global, national and local dynamics. While existing literature has analysed European HE Reforms through the prism of convergence, the contributors will shed light on the contradictions of this transnationalised reform process. While schemes of quality assurance, academic productivity and internationalisation measured by indicators are meant to consolidate the European Higher Education Area, the competition mechanisms they entail may create new divisions among HE institutions and between national spaces.