The European Commission ordered the studies as part of the 2006 EU Modernisation Agenda of Higher Education. They were carried out by a consortium of research bodies led by the 'Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies' (CHEPS) in the Netherlands.

The studies present a wealth of information which will be of interest to both policy-makers and researchers. In addition to EU level analysis and recommendations, they provide detailed national system analyses for 33 countries (EU Member States + Croatia, Turkey, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) and case studies for a range of countries.

As regards funding reforms, the research emphasises that expansion of higher education systems has brought budgetary pressures for many governments. A marked trend towards cost-sharing policies can be observed, with many countries rethinking tuition fee and student aid policies. Approaches to the allocation of public funding for higher education systems are examined in detail in the studies and an assessment of the public (social) and private rates of return to investment in education is presented.

The studies are presented over 5 volumes, representing approximately 1,300 pages. Executive summaries are included in volume 1 of each study.

more information and links to the volumes: http://ec.europa.eu/education/news/news2259_en.htm