Addressing challenges in higher education in the countries of Eastern Central Europe

The countries of Eastern Central Europe are often considered to share important
similarities in many areas, including higher education, to the point of representing a
distinctive region on the global map. To date, however, there is no consistent corpus of
research available that would expound what these similarities are about exactly, what is
their origin, or their relevance for the efforts to advance higher education in the respective
countries. This paper is intended to make a contribution both in a theoretical order, by
identifying and scrutinizing briefly some of the key conceptual elements that could help
understand whether it is legitimate and useful to talk about Eastern Central Europe as a
“region”, and also in a practical, policy perspective, by raising questions and putting forward
recommendations regarding how to address challenges in higher education in this part of
the world. The paper focuses on the following questions: What justifies a discussion about
Eastern Central Europe as a region? Are there common challenges in higher education
throughout the region at present? What are they and how could they be addressed?