Dr Ludovic HIGHMAN, Senior Research Associate at University College London (UCL), and former Senior Academic Assistant in the Department of EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studies, has published a book on the European Union’s Modernisation Agenda for Higher Education and the Case of Ireland. This volume, published by Peter Lang, in its College of Europe Studies/ Cahiers du Collège d’Europe series (edited by Olivier COSTA, Inge GOVAERE, Sieglinde GSTOHL, Phedon NICOLAIDES and Pascaline WINAND), sets out to offer a national perspective on the complex changes occurring in European higher education systems. The Lisbon European Council in 2000 set an ambitious target for the Union to become "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world" with important ramifications for higher education systems and institutions, because of the key role they play in driving innovation and producing knowledge. How this objective at the EU level has been understood and implemented at Member State level is the focus of this volume, providing interesting and fresh insights into higher education policy making within the European institutions and Ireland that could provide a blueprint for understanding higher education reforms in other European countries. The evidence provided indicates that the centre of gravity of decision-making in relation to higher education policy is shifting and can no longer be understood without looking to the European Commission’s "modernisation" agenda for higher education, and to research funding opportunities under the current Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (Horizon 2020): both crucial tools for working towards achieving the Europe 2020 goals.