Since perestroika there have been many changes in Central and Eastern Europe. The states of the region have regained the opportunity to establish partnerships within the European Union. Higher education development has enabled increased communication and opportunities for staff and students. Greater interaction has resulted in a greater mobility of people and ideas, supported by the increased use of information and communications technology. A key factor in the globalization of higher education has been the freedom from the ideological constraints that existed before the break-up of the Soviet Union. This paper traces the changing face of higher education in Central and Eastern Europe through a comparison of models using Dynamic Concept Analysis (DCA), drawing on survey responses from Russia, Byelorussia, Central Asia, Bulgaria and Latvia. The survey gathered positive and negative perceptions of change, which were then analysed in focus group discussions. The models produced provide a framework for the interpretation of higher education systems, and suggest a transition model for further development in an increasingly global education market. In this context, the new autonomous nature of higher education institutions in the region is strongly related to scholarship and selection, while their continuing orientation towards teaching creates opportunities for skills development, thus enhancing graduate employability and services to the community, improving the 'socialization' of students and ensuring the sustainability of the institution.