current reviews.There are of course other drivers of importance to institutions and government such as promoting innovation in teaching and sustaining international competitiveness in recruiting international students. However, the political, economic, and social drivers outlined are those in the forefront of debate. Unsurprisingly, there are strong echoes of these issues in other countries, including the extensive critiques and debates surrounding US accreditation.

The article summarises the socio-political, cultural, economic and educational background to the Western Balkans region and outlines the wider qualitative research study that provided the data on early and pre-school educational opportunities in the seven countries involved; Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo (under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244), the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. The authors examine international research and literature on early education that identifies it as an important means of enabling subsequent educational and social inclusion and attainment. They proceed to discuss and illustrate from the research data five inter-linked factors showing that provision of early education in the Western Balkans is inadequate and exclusive and that children who are already at greatest socio-economic and cultural disadvantage and at potential risk in elementary and secondary education are least likely to participate in, or benefit from, it. Some recent more encouraging developments are noted but the article concludes that substantially more investment and positive actions are needed in raising awareness of the importance of early education and in developing policies and provision for it that will benefit children currently at greatest disadvantage.

The purpose of the study on which this article reports was to elaborate on career trajectories of academics in Kosovo. Particular attention is given to efforts to follow international benchmarks such as the Bologna Process at key stages of Kosovo's historical and political development in the last three decades. In this qualitative study, semi‐structured interviews were carried out with eleven academics with and without management experience as well as administrators. Findings revealed that Kosovo's higher education system is characterised by a weak organisational culture and an orientation towards externally driven change. Also, we found that academics perceived their role narrowly. The findings suggest that while higher education in Kosovo has moved towards adopting international benchmarks, the identity of the academics has not evolved in parallel to support the transition. A managerialist approach catalysed by the Bologna Process has helped a transition process in higher education in Kosovo. Finally, we propose that for a context in transition, local meaning‐making processes for policy transfer are needed. Moving forward, institutional development should be led by academic managers and should serve the professionalisation of academics in Kosovo.

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