The Role of the “Periphery” in the Development of the “Center”: External Forces Shaping the European Higher Education Area

Discussions on the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) often highlight its global influence. However, the role of non-EHEA countries—the “periphery”—in shaping its development remains underexplored. This article examines how the “periphery” has contributed to the EHEA’s evolution. Drawing on world-system and decolonial theories and using critical discourse analysis of 26 EHEA documents (1998–2024), we argue that the “periphery” is not merely a passive recipient of EHEA policies but has played a key role in its construction. This argument is explored through three themes: (1) constitutive influence of the periphery on the EHEA’s external dimension; (2) historical and structural role of the periphery in the EHEA’s global status; and (3) the “periphery” as a consultative body shaping EHEA policy dialogue. Recognizing these roles challenges Eurocentric narratives and underscores the “periphery’s” agency in co-constructing global higher education. These insights are crucial for informing international policy discussions and reform efforts within EHEA signatory states and beyond. By shifting the focus from EHEA’s dominance to a more collaborative and nuanced relationship between the core and the periphery, this analysis offers a revised understanding of how global higher education is shaped beyond traditional core–periphery binaries.