The Knowledge-Based Economy in the Post-Fordist Capitalism: The Case of the Bologna Process

Applying the methodology of the French Régulation School I will contextualise the Bologna Process in Europe within the shift to a post-Fordist finance led regime of accumulation. Discussion of the relation between the Lisbon Strategy and Bologna process, will contextualise the current transformations in the higher education within the shift towards knowledge-based economy. I will argue that the change in capitalism, Europe is experiencing since the breakdown of Fordism, makes the determining factor that has produced the accompanying changes in the education. Relevance to Development Studies The higher education reform towards knowledge-based economy and the interplay between post-Fordist regimes of accumulation, depict the significant changes in the global economy that are relevant not only for the European context, but for the other regions as well that may be pushed towards similar transformations.