Market Principles, Philanthropic Ideals and Public Service Values: The Public Policy Program at the Central European University

Just as there was a boom in the establishment of Master’s of Business Administration over the past 30 or more years, today there is an equivalent boom in graduate programs in the field of public policy. This is so for the transition states of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the former Soviet Union (fSU) where the dynamics of globalization and ‘Europeanization’ are apparent and the pressures for reform pronounced. The educational prerequisites for managing reform and meeting the challenges of globalization has represented a problematic for both official actors such as national education ministries, international organizations and bilateral development agencies, as well as for non state actors such as the business sector, philanthropic foundations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The need for graduates who can function in international and cross-cultural contexts is prompting institutions to create new courses and professional degree programs.