Actors and Actorhood in Higher Education Regionalisms

Abstract

Around the world, ‘higher education regionalism’ has become one accepted way to organise policy cooperation and reform efforts in the higher education sector. Higher education regionalism can manifest in two forms: intra-regional (dominant) and inter-regional (less common). Using the case of ‘European Union Support to Higher Education in the ASEAN Region’ (SHARE), I identify the actors and their roles in inter-regional higher education policy cooperation. My intention is to engage with Pavel Zgaga’s research on the external dimension of the Bologna Process, particularly how actorhood of the Bologna Process is organisationally constructed and received by the SHARE partners. I conclude with some personal reflections about Pavel Zgaga’s knowledge exchange in Southeast Asia.