ABSTRACT
The various national research teams in the RANLHE network brought together expertise with different perspectives, approaches, languages and cultures but there was a consensus about foregrounding the voices of students. Each country also has a unique history and developmental trajectory reflecting changing public policy priorities and the role of higher education in national economic development. Recent mass access to higher education, the expansion of qualifications and the standardization of awards are important developments, yet despite the Bologna process and the integration of higher education in Europe, existing models are both surprisingly similar and quite different in detail. This chapter outlines some of the challenges of working transnationally; some of the pitfalls we encountered and the solutions we devised; and explores how this shaped the theoretical and methodological development of the project.
