A political science perspective on higher education reform processes in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. This book focuses in particular on changes to governance patterns in Poland, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Romania both before and during the Bologna Process. Michael Dobbins systematically examines the impact of historical institutions and transnational networking on institutions of higher education from a comparative perspective. Based on four country case studies, he asks whether the countries are converging towards a common model of governance defined as the market-oriented model. By examining issues such as the role of the state and external stakeholders, the relationship between academia and university management and funding questions, he examines explanations for the cross-country similarities and differences in the process of institutional change since the fall of communism.