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Institutions and Ideas: The Political, Economic, and Social Context for the Bologna Process

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Globalization and Change in Higher Education

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Abstract

Institutions and ideas provide the political economy explanations for higher education policy reform in Europe since the Bologna Process was launched on June 19, 1999. The idea originated with the countries of France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom with the Sorbonne Declaration on May 25, 1998. The political economy context interacts with educational reforms through three explanatory policy processes: (1) globalization, (2) intergovernmentalism, and (3) Europeanization. The focus is on national policy reform for degree-structure criteria within the EHEA, as part of the evolution of the Bologna Process action lines. The theoretical foundations are regional integration and institutional change. This book has a mixed methodological research approach and provides the rationale for the case study countries, Portugal and Spain. The policy reforms are to complement the EU’s common market, known as the Single Market, strengthening the case for the Bologna Process.

A Europe of Knowledge is now widely recognised as an irreplaceable factor for social and human growth and as an indispensable component to consolidate and enrich the European citizenship, capable of giving its citizens the necessary competencies to face the challenges of the new millennium, together with an awareness of shared values and belonging to a common social and cultural space.

The Bologna Declaration (excerpt), June 19, 1999

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  1. University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA

    Beverly Barrett

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  1. Beverly Barrett
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Barrett, B. (2017). Institutions and Ideas: The Political, Economic, and Social Context for the Bologna Process. In: Globalization and Change in Higher Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52368-2_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52368-2_2

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-52367-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-52368-2

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