Status and developments of social science research in Central and Eastern Europe: a report to the European Science Foundation

Abstract

This report was commissioned by the European Science Foundation (ESF) in the framework of the Member Organisation Fora instrument (Member Organisations in Central and Eastern Europe) from the Aleksanteri Institute, the Centre for Russian and Eastern European Studies. The aim of the study was to identify and analyse the situation and challenges in research in Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEs), particularly concerning research conducted in Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) and in the field of social sciences. The main emphasis of the report is on state-run universities. The countries under examination are Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. All these countries are members of the ESF with the exception of Latvia, which was included in the study because it was seen as an integral part of the area under investigation. The respective countries are new members of the European Union (EU). The information on each country is presented in one of the main sections in this report.