romania hosts the 2012 bologna / european higher education area ministerial conference and the third bologna policy forum. in preparation for these meetings, the executive agency for higher education, research, development and innovation funding (uefiscdi) organised the future of higher education - bologna process researchers’ conference (fohe-bprc) in bucharest on 17-19 october 2011, with the support of the european university association (eua) and the romanian national committee for unesco. the conference brought the voices of researchers into international-level policy making in higher education. the results of the conference are presented in this book. until now, empirical evidence supporting policies and reforms in higher education has often been a matter of local or regional focus. the development of a pan-european process in higher education policy drives a need to explore wider research topics on which to base policies. this book offers an unprecedented opportunity for higher education researchers to interact and contribute to the political process shaping the european higher education area (ehea), and to national policy agendas in more than 100 participant countries for the 2012 ministerial events. the book collects more than 50 articles focusing on vital issues in european higher education. these are arranged in sections addressing the european higher education area (ehea) principles teaching and learning quality assurance mobility higher education governance in the ehea funding of higher education diversification of higher education missions higher education futures and foresight.