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This article deals with the Bologna Process (BP), which since its creation in 1999 has deeply influenced European higher education: What is it? How did it come into being? How far has it come? The BP is both a political phenomenon and a reform taking place in European higher education. As a political phenomenon it consists of a series of multilateral conferences in which nearly all European countries participate, both European Union (EU) and non-EU members. The BP has produced a governance structure of its own, in which the EU is also engaged through the membership of the European Commission. As a transformation (harmonization) of European higher education systems, the pan-European BP moves towards a common, more or less Anglo-Saxon, model based on, for instance, the introduction of a two-cycle structure (Bachelor and Master), a system of comparable credits, cooperation in quality assurance, and the promotion of student and staff mobility. The BP can be analyzed from an International Relations perspective, which regards it as an international policy process with, on the one hand, decision making resulting in common positions and, on the other hand, an implementation mode based on adaptation of national regulations and practices. This mode includes national reports that, through a feedback process, inform the BP about its performance. In 2005 and 2007 the BP's stocktaking procedure resulted in two assessments of national progress. Although the BP is not yet an intergovernmental organization, it is expected to become one. (Contains 1 table and 11 notes.)

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The contributions to this symposium document what has been happening in European politics in relation to the Bologna Process and the European Commission, focusing on the question of how harmonization is affecting political science. The contributions should send an alarm signal to political scientists about the effects of this process and its politics on their discipline. The introduction examines the main global and European developments and their more visible implications. The Symposium focuses on political science, although the Bologna Process does not differentiate between disciplines, Brussels treating political science as part of the broader category of 'SSH' (Social Sciences and Humanities). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with the Bologna Process (BP), which since its creation in 1999 has deeply influenced European higher education: What is it? How did it come into being? How far has it come? The BP is both a political phenomenon and a reform taking place in European higher education. As a political phenomenon it consists of a series of multilateral conferences in which nearly all European countries participate, both European Union (EU) and non-EU members. The BP has produced a governance structure of its own, in which the EU is also engaged through the membership of the European Commission. As a transformation (harmonization) of European higher education systems, the pan-European BP moves towards a common, more or less Anglo-Saxon, model based on, for instance, the introduction of a two-cycle structure (Bachelor and Master), a system of comparable credits, cooperation in quality assurance, and the promotion of student and staff mobility. The BP can be analyzed from an International Relations perspective, which regards it as an international policy process with, on the one hand, decision making resulting in common positions and, on the other hand, an implementation mode based on adaptation of national regulations and practices. This mode includes national reports that, through a feedback process, inform the BP about its performance. In 2005 and 2007 the BP's stocktaking procedure resulted in two assessments of national progress. Although the BP is not yet an intergovernmental organization, it is expected to become one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses three effects of the Bologna Process: the transformation of higher education in almost all European countries since 1999, an institutional reform by universities that was triggered by the Bologna initiative and the creation of a new international institution influencing higher education. The article also discusses some implications and challenges for political science resulting from the Bologna reforms.European Political Science (2008) 7, 382–393. doi:10.1057/eps.2008.16 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An announcement is presented seeking contributors for the biographical dictionary of the Secretarissen-General van Internationale Organisities (Secretary General of International Organizations)