The article introduces a special issue of "Policy Futures in Education" on changes and challenges in educational policies and systems of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The countries in the region share some characteristics, such as their historical experience with the authoritarian-socialist or communist rule and its impact on…

This paper presents a case study of the Stipendium Hungaricum (SH) scholarship program and contributes to the existing body of knowledge on the characteristics, goals, and outcomes of governmentsponsored scholarship programs, which typically feature big players like the US, the UK, Germany, France, and China. The central research question is:…

Since ERASMUS (European Region Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students) was launched there has been a constant debate about the civic significance of this mobility programme. The purpose of this article is to analyse the understanding of "active citizenship" by Erasmus students. In order to discover Erasmus students'…

In the past decades, the European integration (political, social and cultural integration of European countries) and the Bologna process have established a framework in the Hungarian higher education scheme by which institutions define their strategic internationalizing objectives and activities. Due to the growing number of international students…

Reading and understanding texts of all kinds form a basic competence for participating in social and cultural life and for being successful on a job. Although most European adolescents have adequate reading competences at their disposal by the end of school, about a quarter of them cannot meet the minimal standards. The urgency of this societal…

A European project involved British and Dutch agricultural educators in assisting Hungarians with curriculum restructuring and staff development. Evaluation yielded evidence of systematic planning based on new political realities; lack of input from groups outside the university; and involvement of more than 50% of faculty in language training,…

The Masters level Opportunities and Technological Innovation in Vocational Teacher Education project (project site: http://motivate.tmpk.bmf.hu/) aims to develop the use and management of virtual learning environments in the area of vocational teacher training, drawing on a well established international partnership of institutions providing both…

A binational management course used computer-mediated small-group discussions between students in the United States and Hungary. Individual and dyad (U.S.-Hungarian student pairs) case analyses were evaluated using an integrative complexity measure. Despite technical difficulties, students produced complex and comprehensive arguments after three…

The countries that signed the Bologna Declaration need also to modify their engineering programmes accordingly. In Hungary some modifications are necessary independently of the Bologna Declaration. The number of students has increased by a factor of three during the past decade without an increase in the number of staff. The consequence is…

Describes how the academic-writing component of the Centre for English Teacher Training in Hungary developed in response to the trainees' needs. The collaborative process of program design includes tutors not directly involved with language improvement, and the resulting program reflects principles shared by the whole staff and contributes to…