Analysing the Transformation of Higher Education Governance in Bulgaria and Lithuania

Drawing on sociological neo-institutional theory and models of higher education governance, we examine current developments in Bulgaria and Lithuania and explore to what extent those developments were shaped by the Bologna reform. We analyse to what extent the state has moved away from a model of state-centred policy design and control to a model of governance based on the ‘evaluative state’ Neave (1998), in which the state ensures ‘product control’ and promotes competition and quality. To do so, we look, in particular, at funding policy and the emergence of a system of quality assurance. To conclude, we examine whether the governance patterns of both countries have converged and identify the factors accounting for potential variations.