The European Higher Education Area: Between Critical Reflections and Future Policies

Bridging the gap between higher education research and policy making was always a challenge, but the recent calls for more evidence-based policies have opened a window of unprecedented opportunity for researchers to bring more contributions to shaping the future of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). Encouraged by the success of the 2011 first edition, Romania and Armenia have organised a 2nd edition of the Future of Higher Education – Bologna Process Researchers’ Conference (FOHE-BPRC) in November 2014, with the support of the Italian Presidency of the European Union and as part of the official EHEA agenda. Reuniting over 170 researchers from more than 30 countries, the event was a forum to debate the trends and challenges faced by higher education today and look at the future of European cooperation in higher education. The research volumes offer unique insights regarding the state of affairs of European higher education and research, as well as forward-looking policy proposals. More than 50 articles focus on essential themes in higher education: Internationalization of higher education; Financing and governance; Excellence and the diversification of missions; Teaching, learning and student engagement; Equity and the social dimension of higher education; Education, research and innovation; Quality assurance, The impacts of the Bologna Process on the EHEA and beyond and Evidence-based policies in higher education. "The Bologna process was launched at a time of great optimism about the future of the European project – to which, of course, the reform of higher education across the continent has made a major contribution. Today, for the present, that optimism has faded as economic troubles have accumulated in the Euro-zone, political tensions have been increased on issues such as immigration and armed conflict has broken out in Ukraine. There is clearly a risk that, against this troubled background, the Bologna process itself may falter. There are already signs that it has been downgraded in some countries with evidence of political withdrawal. All the more reason for the voice of higher education researchers to be heard. Since the first conference they have established themselves as powerful stakeholders in the development of the EHEA, who are helping to maintain the momentum of the Bologna process. Their pivotal role has been strengthened by the second Bucharest conference." Peter Scott, Institute of Education, London (General Rapporteur of the FOHE-BPRC first edition).

Contents of Part 1 Introduction. The Future of Higher Education and “the European Level”. Liviu Matei -- Part I: Internationalization of Higher Education -- 1. Internationalisation of Higher Education – What Can Research Add to the Policy Debate? [Overview Paper]. Hans de Wit, Ligia Deca, Fiona Hunter -- 2. Internationalization of Higher Education: Navigating Between Contrasting Trends. Sarah Guri-Rosenblit -- 3. Balanced Mobility Across the Board – a Sensible Objective? Irina Ferencz -- 4. Challenges of Student Mobility in a Cosmopolitan Europe. Janine Wulz, Florian Rainer -- 5. Redefining Internationalization at Home. Jos Beelen, Elspeth Jones -- 6. The Impact of Exposure to Diversity in the International University Environment and the Development of Intercultural Competence in Students. Jeanine Gregersen – Hermans -- 7. Internationalisation as a Lever for Change: the Case of Italy. Fiona Hunter -- 8. Becoming Bologna Capable: Strategic Cooperation and Capacity Building in International Offices in Kazakhstani HEIs. Jason Sparks, Adil Ashirbekov, Aisi Li, Lynne Parmenter, Zakir Jumakulov, Aida Sagintayeva -- 9. Internationalization Strategies and Policies in Second-tier Higher Education Institutions. Hans de Wit, Miri Yemini, Randall Martin -- Part II: Higher Education Financing and Governance -- 10. Background Note for the Section on Financing and Governance [Overview Paper]. Liviu Matei -- 11. Strategies for Efficient Funding of Universities in Europe. Enora Bennetot Pruvot, Anna-Lena Claeys-Kulik, Thomas Estermann -- 12. Financing Research Universities in Post-communist EHEA Countries. Ernő Keszei, Frigyes Hausz, Attila Fonyó, Béla Kardon -- 13. Policy Incentives and Research Productivity in the Romanian Higher Education. An Institutional Approach. Lazăr Vlăsceanu, Marian-Gabriel Hâncean -- 14. Patterns of Funding the Internationalisation of Higher Education. A Conceptual Framework for the Study of Internationalisation. Liviu Matei, Julia Iwinska, Daniela Crăciun -- 15. The Evolving Landscape of South-East Asian Higher Education and the Challenges of Governance. Sauwakon Ratanawijitrasin -- Part III: Excellence and Diversification of Higher Education Institutions’ Missions -- 16. Seeking Excellence, Practicing Rankings, and Aiming at Diversification of Higher Education Institutions’ Mission in the European Higher Education Area [Overview Paper]. Jan Sadlak -- 17. Excellence-driven Policies and Initiatives in the Context of Bologna Process: Rationale, Design, Implementation and Outcomes. Isak Froumin, Mikhail Lisyutkin -- 18. The Knowledge Society and Diversification of Higher Education: From the Social Contract to the Mission of Uiversities. Attila Pausits -- 19. Excellence and Diversification of Higher Education Institutions’ Missions. Marco Porzionato, Federica De Marco -- 20. “New” Rankings on the Scene: The U21 Ranking of National Higher Education Systems and U-Multirank. Gergely Kováts -- Part IV: Teaching, Learning and Student Engagement -- 21. Teaching and Learning: an Overview of the Thematic Session [Overview Paper]. Manja Klemenčič, Paul Ashwin -- 22. Teaching and Learning: A Journey from the Margins to the Core in European Higher Education Policy. Cristina Sin -- 23. The Meanings of Student Engagement: Implications for Policies and Practices. Paul Ashwin, Debbie McVitty -- 24. How Do We Know How Students Experience Higher Education? On the Use of Student Surveys. Manja Klemenčič, Igor Chirikov -- 25. Understanding the Quality of Learning in Digital Learning Environments: State of the Art and Research Needed. Bernadette Charlier, Laurent Cosnefroy, Annie Jézégou, Geneviève Lameul -- 26. Assessment of Learning Outcomes. Hamish Coates -- 27. Giving Voice to Non-traditional Students “Walking” the Narrative Mediation Path. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Dan Florin Stănescu, Elena-Mădălina Iorga, José González Monteagudo, Maria Francesca Freda -- Part V: Social Dimension and Equity of Higher Education -- 28. Equity and the Social Dimension: an Overview [Overview Paper]. Alex Usher -- 29. No Future for the Social Dimension? Florian Kaiser, Aengus Ó Maoláin, Līva Vikmane -- 30 -- A Comprehensive Approach to Investigating the Social Dimension in European Higher Education Systems – EUROSTUDENT and the PL4SD Country Reviews. Dominic Orr, Shweta Mishra -- 31. How did the Latest Increase in Fees in England Affect Student Enrollment and Inequality? Koen Geven -- 32. Struggling with Social Polarization. Student Financial Support in Romania in the Framework of the Bologna Process -- Daniela Alexe, Cezar Mihai Hâj, Bogdan Murgescu -- 33 Premises of Inclusive Access and Success of Roma People in the Romanian Higher Education. Diana-Maria Cismaru, Cristina Fiţ, Delia Gologan. Contents of Part 2 Part VI Education, Research and Innovation -- 1. Bridging Education, Research and Innovation: the Pivotal Role of Doctoral Training [Overview Paper]. Marzia Foroni -- 2. European Doctoral Programs in Light of EHEA and ERA. Nicola Vittorio -- 3. Tuning Tools and Insights for Modern Competence-based Third-cycle Programs. Ann Katherine Isaacs -- 4. Enhancing the Quality of Research in Europe: Theoretical Perspectives on and Guiding Principles for Researcher Development. Linda Evans -- 5. The Quality of Doctoral Training and Employability of Doctorate Holders: the Views of Doctoral Candidates and Junior Researchers. Filomena Parada, John Peacock -- 6. The Romanian PhD students at CERN: the Bologna Process and Beyond. Alexandru Nicolin, Florin Buzatu -- Part VII Quality Assurance -- 7. European Quality Assurance - a European Higher Education Area success story [Overview Paper]. Hanne Smidt -- 8. International Quality Reviews with an EQAR-registered Agency. Melinda Szabo -- 9. A Merry-Go-Round of Evaluations Moving from Administrative Burden to Reflection on Education and Research in Romania. Koen Geven, Adina Maricuţ -- 10. Students as Stakeholders in the Policy Context of the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Higher Education Institutions. Frauke Logermann, Liudvika Leišytė -- 11. Negotiating Liminality in Higher Education: Formal and Informal Dimensions of the Student Experience as Facilitators of Quality. Vanessa Rutherford, Ian Pickup -- Part VIII The Impacts of the Bologna Process on the EHEA and Beyond -- 12. The EHEA at the Cross-roads. The Bologna Process and the Future of Higher Education [Overview Paper]. Sjur Bergan -- 13. Current and Future Prospects for the Bologna Process in the Turkish Higher Education System. Armağan Erdoğan -- 14. The Bologna Process Goes East? From “Third Countries” to Prioritizing Inter-regional Cooperation Between the ASEAN and EU. Que Anh Dang -- 15. Future Scenarios for the European Higher Education Area: Exploring the Possibilities of “Experimentalist Governance”. Robert Harmsen -- Part IX Evidence-based Policies in Higher Education: Data Analytics, Impact Assessment and Reporting -- 16. Evidence-based Policies in Higher Education: Data Analytics, Impact Assessment and Reporting [Overview Paper]. Jamil Salmi -- 17. Higher Education Research in Europe. Ulrich Teichler -- 18. A Comparative Study on Cost-sharing in Higher Education – Using the Case Study Approach to Contribute to Evidence-based Policy. Dominic Orr -- 19. Does Research Influence Educational Policy? The Perspective of Researchers and Policy-makers in Romania. Georgeta Ion, Romiţă Iucu -- 20. Changed Academic Relationship Between Professors and Students at Uni Potsdam: Impact of Bologna 2011-2012. Christen Hairston -- About the Editors -- About the Authors.