This article explores the linkage between the idea of a knowledge society and effects of internationalisation in education policy-making. The fact that the idea of a knowledge society is widely shared is brought together with an explanation of increasing dynamics in education politics. The central argument is that the idea of a knowledge society has helped countries to increasingly perceive themselves as similar with respect to necessary educational changes. In consequence, they exchange policies which, some decades ago, would have been assumed to be bound to and determined by specific national traditions. Theoretically, the article is conceptualised in an institutionalist framework and illustrates the theoretical thoughts by the example of lifelong learning. Methods applied are content analysis, descriptive statistics and interviews. (Contains 2 tables, 1 figure and 8 notes.)