The new phenomenon of European integration has again challenged ourconceptual and
empirical tools for higher education studies tointegrate the international dimension into
frameworks that tendto concentrate on the single nation state and domestic policieseven
where international comparisons are made. It drives as wellthe awareness of certain blind
spots: namely (1) the concentrationon policy effects, neglecting the input side of policy
formation, and (2) the concern with macro level policy-making and meso levelorganisational …

Rong Chen is an Assistant Professor of Education Leadership, Management and Policy at
the Seton Hall University, and teaches courses in quantitative methods, research design,
and policy analysis. She received her Ph. D. in higher education from the University of
Michigan in 2007. Her research focuses on student financial aid, college student dropout
behavior, and socioeconomic and racial equity in higher education opportunities. Her recent
work on these issues has been published in Research in Higher Education. Chen is the …