From Europeanization to Mercosurization of Public Policies: a Comparison of the European Bologna Process and the Accrediting State in MERCOSUR

Abstract

In this paper we propose to compare the forms that have been used for constructing two processes with certain similarities but very different when reffering to the number of actors, participants and affected stakeholders, the impact of institutional changes that have led to cognitive changes, as well as territorial expansion and the degree of participation of international organizations involving Europeanization and Mercosurization of higher education policies.

The European Bologna process is historically framed in three europeanization stages. Firstly, interuniversity action cooperation financed by the European Commission where tools are created allowing the foundations to be layed for the second stage that presents this process in an intergovernmental form. This last stage involved the Commission in order to reach a paneuropean dimension.

The mercosurization of the accrediting State, diachronic and later synchronously, can also be divided into three stages: after the first stage of redefinitions and major policy changes in some member countries of MERCOSUR, the first experimental instruments are created (MEXA) at a regional level that later would be translated into permanent tools (ARCUSUR).

In this way and supporting both primary and secondary sources, we comparatively analyze how the policies have been evolving, built and modified.