Universities and societies around the world are involved in significant transition. Universities are now invited to expand their central aims and purposes in order to embrace a role in relation to the development of the societies in which they are located. This change of focus has major implications for curricula, modes of teaching and the student body.

International contributors to this wideranging text discuss different aspects of the phenomenon of globalisation in relation to higher education, but also in relation to moves by nation states to devolve government to regional and subregional bodies and the implications this has for educational systems.

Universities and societies around the world are involved in significant transition. Universities are now invited to expand their central aims and purposes in order to embrace a role in relation to the development of the societies in which they are located. This change of focus has major implications for curricula, modes of teaching and the student body. International contributors to this wideranging text discuss different aspects of the phenomenon of globalisation in relation to higher education, but also in relation to moves by nation states to devolve government to regional and subregional bodies and the implications this has for educational systems.

In what ways should the liberal democracy be fostered in the country in transition, which terminated with the autocratic regime only a decade ago? How to respond to the challenges of globalisation and development of European dimensions to societies, organizations and every individual life. How to avoid the problems of social exclusion? This book is searching for answers to these questions taking into account liberal education, the changing conception of learning, reforms of universities and schools as well as socio-educational work. The book is divided into four sections. The first section is designed for liberal education as a facilitator of the democratic development. The second section traces the challenges for a changing university in the aspect of globalisation. The third section deals with the problems of educational change on a way to a learning society in the aspect of management and the market. The fourth section embraces the papers on new approaches in education for social and cultural development.

Frankfurt/M., Berlin, Bruxelles, New York, Oxford, Wien, 2002. num. fig. Baltische Studien zur Erziehungs und Sozialwissenschaft. Bd. 7 Herausgegeben von Gerd Bodo Reinert, Irena Musteikiene und juri Orn