[ Bildung | Education ]

Though I am involved in one of these programs, I have to admit that I start to worry about the fact that recently Central European Studies are becoming an affair of elite's.

Provoked by a recent entry in this weblog on another "Elitestudiengang Osteuropastudien", I came to ask myself, if simple Central or Souteastern Studies and History are slowly vanishing.

Instead, the building of special "elitist" MA and PhD programmes takes place all over Western Europe. I know very well that this might not be the genuine choice of the participating Universities, but a question of solving the miserable funding situation for research and education in general. Anyway, the signal given by such circumstances reminds me of the pre-WW I situation: Central and Southeast European countries are trouble makers of such a big dimension that the most educated, loyal, diplomatic and versatile people are needed to deal with them.

Of course, this is only one - admittedly malicious - view. On the other hand, I am glad that this part of the world gains serious attention and that the local universities and thus, CE and SEE scholars and students are integrated into such programs, as well. It's just - it could happen more naturally and less specific in terms of democracy building, business plans, etc. There is a how weak ever taste of colonialism to the current developments.