The European Science Foundation has published a new report, ‘Central and Eastern Europe Beyond Transition: Convergence and Divergence in Europe.’ The report aims to identify new themes for social science research in and on Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), which can be promoted and endorsed by national and European funding institutions.
Three interdisciplinary thematic clusters have been identified - Populations in change; New Geographies of Europe; and Social Cohesion. ‘Populations in change’ seeks to look into how out/in migration, regional population change, ethnic minorities and integration all affect the basic structure of CEE populations. ‘New Geographies of Europe’ focuses on the ‘return to Europe’, overcoming the West-East divide, on the influence of cohesion funds on local governance and on the expanding borders of Europe eastwards. Social Cohesion focuses on the degree of socio-economic transformation that post-communist Europe has undergone over the last 20 years, especially in terms of social mobility and social trust.
The report also outlines eight structural recommendations for social science research in and on CEE. These underline the need to ensure a stronger presence of CEE scholars and CEE social research issues in international level research projects. They also highlight real needs in terms of the development of research infrastructure and human capital and call for the implementation of good practices in terms of governance, scientific excellence and independence.
