Higher Education in Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract

Central and Eastern Europe offers a diversity of higher education systems—ranging from “post-Soviet,” in the sense that specialized higher education institutions often subject to non-education ministries are still prominent and traditional universities play a less dominant role, to “market” systems, with increasingly significant private sectors. The region also offers a diversity of institutional types—from traditional (often, very traditional) universities through specialized universities and quasi-industrial “monotechnics” to highly entrepreneurial private institutions. In addition, the region offers a range of academic and organizational cultures—from the “scientific” and “public” to the “applied” (or vocational) and “market.” As a result of this diversity it is difficult to make valid generalizations that can be applied to Central and Eastern European higher education as a bloc.