Abstract Since the beginning of the 21st century, English as medium of instruction (EMI) programs have been burgeoning in the European higher education. At the same time, the use of EMI in the European higher education has drawn much academic attention. The present paper is concerned with the policy, realities and constraints experienced in the implementation of EMI programs in European universities. After a survey of the driving forces of European EMI development at the global, European, national, and institutional level, main features of European EMI development are discussed: an unequivocal rise in the EMI provision, great north-south divide, and uneven proportions between undergraduate and master’s level in terms of degrees and disciplines. This study further addresses some of political, administrative, and educational challenges to be considered as a consequence of this rapid EMI development in Europe. These challenges include how to strike a balance between national language(s) and English in policy design, how to enforce language planning in higher education institutes, and how to ensure the quality of English language capability of teachers and students. This study thus aims to develop our understanding of the relationship between EMI and higher education internationalization on the one hand and the multi-layered analysis involved in EMI studies from the perspective of language policy and planning on the other.
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