Localizing Bologna-Style Reforms in Kyrgyzstan: A Comparative Documentary Case Study of Three Management Master’s Programs

Bologna-style reforms have travelled well beyond the European Higher Education Area. Yet outside formal membership, it is often unclear whether these reforms lead to convergence or to local hybrids. This article examines how Bologna-style tools are localized in Kyrgyzstan through a comparative documentary case study of three management master’s programs: Kyrgyz Economic University (KEU), International University of Kyrgyzstan (IUK), and Kyrgyz State Technical University named after I. Razzakov (KSTU). Using Acharya’s (2004) norm localization framework and insights from policy borrowing research (Phillips & Ochs, 2003; Steiner‑Khamsi, 2004), the study traces how credits, curriculum structures, competence language, and quality mechanisms are reframed and adapted in different institutional settings. Evidence from program documents shows formal alignment around a two‑year, 120‑ECTS master’s structure, while the meaning of these tools varies by institutional logic: market‑sectoral (KEU), donor‑driven (IUK), and technocratic (KSTU). The findings suggest limited convergence and strong localization through selective adoption and institutional translation. The study contributes to policy borrowing literature by showing how Bologna-style tools can be reconstructed to fit post-Soviet governance logics while maintaining formal alignment with international standards.