Central Eastern European University Network (CEEUN)

On May 6, 2002, the first operative meeting of CEEUN took place in Vienna at the WIFO-Austrian Institute of Economic Research, on an initiative started on by four Italian university research Institutions. The introductory remarks were given by Helmut Kramer, Director of Wifo. Criteria, methodologies, and procedures to be followed in this initial stage of cooperation between University Departments, Institutes, Observatories and Research Centers of Central and South Eastern Europe were discussed.

At the same time it was agreed to proceed in this biannual term with a provisional structure, that consists of the Scientific Council  (composed of all interlocutors contacted in the last year of preparation of CEEUN, who have shown interest in the cooperation and the future interested Bodies), the Board (of which all institutions that have signed a letter of intent or sent a formal communication of adhesion are belonging) and the Steering Committee (formed by all the Representatives and experts who have engaged themselves in some form in coordinating and supporting CEEUN).

Erhard Busek, Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for South East Europe, has accepted to be Chairman of CEEUN. His outstanding chairmanship has been welcome with friendship. Giorgio Dominese, Director of CNEAS-Center for North East and Adriatic Studies, professor of Economy and Finace of Transition, Program Director ICETS-Luiss University Rome, was asked to be the Coordinator of the CEEUN, continuing the appreciated activity carried out.

The plenary session of first operative meeting of the CEEUN was held in the WIFO  Auditorium in the presence of more than 50 Representatives of partner institutions. Helmut Kramer chaired the meeting and presented the introductory overview and some proposals.

The Research Areas proposed were introduced by:

1. Sandor Richter, Wiiw, Vienna: The EU enlargement. Costs and benefits for future members and for the “Left Out”. Beyond enlargement, integration and stability

2. Helmut Kramer,   Wifo, Vienna: The Euro effect and the Enlargement process    

3. Gregorio De Felice, Banca Intesa, Milan: Retail banks, corporate finance and investments in crucial sectors. CEEC banking system, the FDI flows, the financial Institutions, the infrastructures  network and the institutional frame

4. Paolo Inchingolo, University Trieste: Virtual University and knowledge 

5. Andrea Ciampani, University Padoua: The transition to democracy and the end of the Cold War in Europe 

6. John-ren Chen, University of Innsbruck: Global Law and International Economy: the need for new rules and institutions  

7. Victor Jackovich, George C. Marshall Center, Garmisch Partenkirchen Security and International Alliances System 

8. Juraj Stern, University of Bratislava: Social and cultural change in the transition countries 

9. Edward Bergman, University of Economics and Business  Administration, Vienna and Dino Martellato, Faculty of Economics, Venice University: Applied regional studies, local development, environment and governance

10. Flavio Pressacco, University of Udine: Modelling and analysing transition issues: quantitative research  contribution

11. Ingrid Gazzari, Wiiw, Vienna: Economic, financial and social information and database

A large debate with the participation of all the presents to the meeting followed. Many proposals, remarks, integrations and recommendations were put at the attention of the representatives of the partner institutions. Part of them have been directly introduced into the draft documents prepared until now and the other will be discussed and considered by the Area Coordination in their initial activities.

The CEEUN Coordinator has also summarized the indication for the Area Coordination  and Project Referents. In the following months, some integrations and refinements were introduced in the program of the CEEUN. The Areas of Research at the date of May 2003 are as follows:

1. The EU enlargement. Costs and benefits for future members and for the “Left Out”. Beyond enlargement, integration and stability. Europe and the Transatlantic Relations

2. The new European economic framework: finance, banking, insurance, real economy, monetary policy, entrepreneurship and innovation

      Section 1: Financial economy and international implications

      Section 2 : Real Economy, Infrastructures and Logistics

3. Virtual University and knowledge      

4. The transition to democracy and the end of the Cold War in Europe    

5. Global Law and International Economy: the need for new rules and institutions    

6. Security and International Alliances System

7. Applied regional studies, governance of development, transport systems, environment and governance

8. Modelling and analysing transition issues: quantitative research  contribution

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Regarding the database and the availability of statistical information, we will very soon establish an appropriate methodology within the CEEUN Steering Committee. The same criteria will be adopted with the aspects related to working papers and research publications. The upgrading of the quarterly Mittelforum, presently edited by CNEAS-Centre for North East and Adriatic Studies, Venice, to a Research and University Press will be discussed and developed together with the working papers and other publications to be diffused.

A committee will be formed under the initiative of the CEEUN Coordinator within the Steering Committee, in order to establish procedures, criteria and timing for the evaluation of the scientific researches proposed for publication in hard copy or electronic format.

Special attention has been devoted to the web portal that will be prepared with the support of the Italian sponsor Banca Intesa e-learning Division and in cooperation with all the institutions willing to contribute with human resources and proposals to this framework. A specific draft info has been already diffused. 

On the issues of the scientific publications, we have signed at the end of June an agreement with Bocconi University Press-Egea of  Milan for the appropriate edition of our CEEUN publications, papers, researches and articles. It's a good step forward. In this framework we are now considering the proper way to organize the "Transition Studies Review" as a summing up of the best scientific works from the main different Research Areas. Each issue (three each year) will host at least five-seven different Research Sections papers.  For Finance and Banking sectors, OSSFI of University of Udine has been twinned to the Bocconi University in a special bilateral research agreement.

These sections - which will circulate also  independently from the "mother" Review, as they should be de facto independent publications - will be at this stage:

1)   European Enlargement, Wider Integration, Transatlantic Relations

2)   Transition Financial and Banking Research

3)   International Transition Economy Research

4)   Transition Strategic Studies and International Order

5)   Mittelforum Transition Issues

6)   Information Communication and Innovation Papers

7)   Social and Cultural Transition Issues

8)   Transport, Utilities and Logistics in Transition Economy

9)   CEEUN Working Papers

10) CEEUN Research Link (Abstracts, Books and Publications Review, Events, Conferences)

11) CEEUN Southeast Europe Papers

12) CEEUN Regional Research and Reports

13) CEEUN Baltic Research Papers

14) Adriatic and Eastern Mediterranean Papers

15) Review of Reviews

The Italian University Bocconi support represents  a strong asset for the research development  but now we need to strength our cooperation and exchange of articles and scientific papers to the purpose of selecting the best of what we produce in the network.

The Partner Institutions are requested to indicate by May 30 the respective Researchers and Experts participating in the projects in the different areas, taking into account first of all the specialisation and scientific competences of each research partners to be proposed to the Area Coordination. These names should be accompanied by a short CV.  All the relevant information and indications exchanged should be sent in copy to the Coordination Desk at ceeun@ceeun.org as documentation for our activities in order to better support and coordinate our common program.

With reference also to the many suggestions and other proposals following our Vienna constitutive  meeting, the attention has been drawn to these primary issues: 

1) Indication to each team project of a selected group of researchers with a peculiar transnational character, with no more than half of them coming from the same country. Names and proposals are arriving but still we have to stimulate even the geographically more peripheral Institutions to be concretely part of the CEEUN. We are ready to discuss forms and ways of support.

2) Building up an efficient Web portal, with protected areas for each research sector and single project. We will be ready with a professional site by the end of 2003. Each Institution has been asked to prepare a presentation in English of the respective activities, projects going on, publications and current activities, as well as staff and international existing research cooperation. By the same date we should be in the position to give to all experts involved in CEEUN their own e-mail address of the following type: name@ceeun.org.

3) Exploitation of all the possibilities to get resources from the international bodies dealing with our subjects. I am sure you know the EU program. But other opportunities could be developed in the future, at the international and national level, if the network really intends to become an instrument of competitive research activity.

4) We agreed on the comments received on the publication activities, first of all regarding the upgrading of Mittelforum to a Research and University Press from the present function of hosting for different scientific works and articles. To this end we will create a committee of about six experts selected among us. We would like to publish three-four issues a year. A different solution will be found for the working papers and similar publications, in cooperation with Wifo and Wiiw.

5) We are trying to work out a special proposal – together with the cooperation with Wifo and Wiiw in the specialized data and publication sectors – for the access of CEEUN Institutions to their database and statistical resources as well. We will come back  soon on this issue.

6) Criteria for the exchange of short term visiting professors and researchers were established in a very light formula of reciprocity and avoiding specific funding to this purpose.