General description Currently, the higher education sector finds itself at a crucial turning point. While the implementation of the Bologna Process has been going on for some years and its impact looks favourable on paper (Bologna Follow-up Process, 2007), this does not coincide adequately with the actual situation in various European countries. The outcomes of the Bologna process (so far) can be briefly summarised as convergence at macro level (= country level), coinciding with greater diversity at micro level (= course level). We see more unification regarding structural elements such as the ECTS, Diploma Supplements and quality assurance regimes, but this corresponds with greater variety at the department and course level, given the uneven developments and different national interpretations. This has resulted in a wide range of differences in the pace and content of implementation, involving a “highly complex cultural and social transformation” (Huisman, 2009, p. 5). “The devil is in the detail”, as countries seem to have found “specific national solutions to challenges of the Bologna agenda” (Huisman, 2009, p. 6). The variety involves the lengths of Bachelor, Master and PhD-cycles, the access criteria to the cycles, and whether quality assurance aims at control or enhancement. After our reflective study (Teelken & Wihlborg, 2010) on the evaluation of the Bologna Process, it is now time for a more empirical approach. Despite the importance and the scope of the Bologna Process, we know little of its impact at the level of the individual Higher Education Institutions, and even less about the faculty and department level. Research question: What is the impact of the Bologna process on higher education institutions in the Netherlands, Sweden and Finland? The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of the Bologna process in the Netherlands, Sweden and Finland, through a literature search and reviewing of secondary material (such as policy reports, empirical studies). The focus will be on tracing the most important effects of the Bologna process. Specific emphasis will be laid on: - The constraining effects of Bologna. Do universities feel a limitation of their autonomy and independence, caused by the Bologna Process? - The impact of New Public Management, and whether HEIs are part of the NPM agenda? - The danger of oversimplification through the increased emphasis on measurement and improvement of research and teaching quality.

A systematic literature search in several databases will be conducted in all three countries, analysed using a content (comparative) analysis approach. The study will focus (among others) on the status and lengths of the Bachelor and Master phases, the assessment criteria for students, the current status of quality care systems (a modification of inclusion criteria will be conducted). It is our intention to use a content analysis approach, implying that the relevant documents will be analysed on the basis of the relevant themes, as mentioned above. Content analysis can work both in a bottum-up (coming up with new ideas) and top-down manner (using the themes set in the above). Particular attention will be paid to the actual meaning of the various themes, i.e. the manner in which they make sense to the respondents.

The study can be considered an important continuation and deepening of a previously conducted review on the Bologna process conducted by the authors (Teelken & Wihlborg, 2010). As a whole the studies can contribute to an open and critical debate concerning the outcomes of the Bologna process. An international comparative investigation, based on the results from the literature review. - A compilation of a collection of policy documents at national, university and department level based on the search aspects central for this project (also resulting into a database, which will be accessible for other ECER members in network 22: higher education). - The main documents will be analysed and serve as a basis for our further empirical research, which lies beyond the scope of this abstract. - Systematicl analysis, on a national and institutional level