Taking Stock of the Bologna Process at 20: The Possibilities and Limits of Soft Law Governance

The Bologna Process stands as both an exemplar of regional cooperation in the higher education policy sector and as a comparatively successful instance of the use of so-called ‘soft law governance’ policy instruments. Yet, as this pan-European process now marks two decades of existence, questions are increasingly being posed as to its direction and purpose. Against this background, the present paper seeks to take stock of Bologna as it enters adulthood, drawing on both the substantial body of scholarship that has emerged on the process and practitioner insights to examine its past achievements and current challenges. The paper specifically focuses on recent debates surrounding the (non-)implementation of key commitments; on the functioning of the EHEA as a policy forum in relation to both its own membership and the wider international higher education policy landscape; and on the manner in which the EHEA may respond to increasingly serious challenges to the fundamental values that underpin the process. An overall balance sheet is finally drawn, suggesting the likely direction(s) of the process going forward.