The present analysis has been inspired by the book entitled The Quality Assurance in Higher Education in the Central and East-European Countries – Agenda Ahead, edited by Jan KOHOUTEK, UNESCO-CEPES, Studies on Higher Education, Bucharest, 2009, presenting the outcome of the Research Plan...

AbstractThe following sections are included:Political Reasons for EnlargementBeyond Economic ChallengesPolitical Challenges: Large versus Small StatesLack of HegemonyThe End of a Dynamic?The limits of western deepeningAgricultural policyComparing CEE and Southeast AsiaBeyond enlargementConclusion

AbstractThe following sections are included:EU Cross and Trans-Border CooperationThe initial model: La Grande regionThe Euro-regionBeyond Enlargement Policy: Stabilizing Unsecured Borders with the ENP“No institutions”The Macro-Regions“3 nos”: No new institutions, no new rules, no new...

AbstractThe following sections are included:Regionalization from a Comparative Perspective: Conditions for Reform and a Comparison of CEE and Southeast AsiaVarieties of EU regionalizationSoutheast AsiaCultural, Political and Economic Regionalism: Further Comparison of EU and Asian...

AbstractThe following sections are included:The Theoretical FrameworkPolitical and economic dimensions of corruptionInfant, father, client and boss: Patronage and neo-patrimonalismThe European Transition Period“Red privatization”Domestic transformation in CEE: Privatization policyThe role of...

AbstractThe following sections are included:The EU Cohesion PolicyA vision of development: Efficiency and equityA hard public debateStrategy, objectives and tools of developmentASEAN: Cooperation, No Binding Rules and Step-by-Step ConstructionASEAN: A loose regional ensemblePolitical changes and...

AbstractThe following sections are included:Globalization and FlexibilityManagement through flexibilityGender issuesInternational Rules and Legal ObstaclesConclusion: Comparing Both Areas

AbstractThe following sections are included:Lack of Territorial Continuity and Borders: Lack of Sovereign StatesTerritorial Imbalances: Inter- and Intra-regional DisparitiesDisparities between member states and within both regionsCapital cities versus surrounding regionsPovertySocial Structures:...

AbstractThe following sections are included:Bureaucracies and Political EconomiesEconomic DependencyRegionalism and RegionalizationConclusion

This paper examines the links between human development concept and the attempt to implement the communist project in the countries of the former socialist bloc. It argues that the human development performance of the socialist system, despite its beneficial outcome for the ‘working masses’,...