Citizenship education can be oriented to different types of citizenship: an adapted one, an individualised one, and a more critical democratic one (Leenders, Veugelers & De Kat, 2008; Veugelers, 2011). These types of citizenship differ in pedagogical goals and educational practices. In concrete policies and practices there will be a mix of these orientations. Policy and practice of citizenship orientation and citizenship education and the social relevance of education can change over time, depending to a large extend on changes in ideology and policy on the international, regional and national level. In the RIAIPE3 project the research coordinators of the participating universities analysed the policy and practice of citizenship development in higher education in their countries. In the paper we will present an overview of these policies and practices in the different countries and analyse these citizenship orientations and practices in relation with international, regional and national developments in policy. International developments, regional articulations and specific national concerns in the social relevance of higher education and in their chosen citizenship education orientation will be presented.