The conference papers examine higher education reforms in the countries of Eastern and Central Europe from several research perspectives: political, economic, pedagogical, and sociological. Papers are organized in three sections: Higher Education Policies and Institutional Change; Central European Higher Education in Transition; and Higher Education Reforms in Eastern Europe. Titles are: (1) "Social Changes, Politics and Higher Education" (Claudius Gellert); (2) "Knowledge about Higher Education for Its different Stakeholders" (Maurice Kogan); (3) "Researchers and Policy Makers in Higher Education in East Central Europe" (Don Westerheijden); (4) "Institutional Innovations in Higher Education in East and Central Europe--a Progress Report" (Peter Darvas); (5) "Adaption Processes at Universities: Organizational Implications of a Complex Environment" (Barbara Sporn); (6) "Typical Features of Education and Education Reforms in Central Europe" (Jana Hendrichova); (7) "The Power of the Professoriate-Politics and Higher Education Reform in Austria" (Erich Leitner); (8) "Autonomy of Higher Education Institutions and Reforms--the Polish Case" (Ireneusz Bialecki); (9) "Academic Staff Facing a Changing University" (Elzbieta Wnuk-Lipinska); (10) "Changes in the Market of Educational Services in Poland" (Ewa Szemborska); (11) "New Challenges of Tertiary Education in East-Central Europe" (Tamas Kozma); (12) "Policy-Development and Educational Research: The Hungarian Experience" (Janos Setenyi); (13) "Renewal of Higher Education in Slovenia with Special Attention to Quality" (Sonja Kump); (14) "The Progress of Education and Higher Education Reform in Slovakia" (Maria Hrabinska); (15) "Intellectual Elite and Population of Russia about Problems of Education and Personnel Training" (Natalia Kovaleva); (16) "Development of Higher Education Reform in the Ukraine" (Igor Folvarochny); (17) "Higher Education in Romania: The Imperatives of Reform New Paradigms, New Options, New Strategies" (Ioan Neacsu); (18) "Higher Education Reform in Bulgaria" (Nickolay Popov). (Individual papers contain references.) (CH)