Each year the Civic Education Project plays host to an academic conference to bring together students from across Central and Eastern Europe and the former states of the Soviet Union.

At the conference students of CEP lecturers present papers assessing a particular theme related the region. The student conference brings together some of the best students in the region who submit proposals which undergo a rigorous and competitive selection process. The best papers from the conference are published in a book which can be found below.

The conference has gained a growing reputation as perhaps the most significant and meaningful CEP event by serving a number of valuable purposes. First, it gives the students, often for the first time, the opportunity to publicly present their academic work. Second, it facilitates debate and dialogue among participants from a broad array of countries and perspectives. Third, it serves as a meeting place where the next generation of scholars attempt to break down the geographical and cultural barriers which have kept them apart and isolated. Fourth, it fosters a sense of accomplishment and achievement among students who have worked so diligently in CEP courses despite the numerous obstacles they face -- for some the trip is their first time abroad. And fifth, it assists the development of academic networks through which the students gain access to information, assistance, and friendship.

Judging by the genuine and glowing praise given by students, lecturers, and other participants, past conferences were unqualified successes. They represent a model for the type of impact CEP can have in the region. As one student from Bulgaria remarked, "coming to the conference and meeting all the other students was the best thing I have done in my life."

The 2001 CEP Student Conference

The 2000 CEP Student Conference

The 1999 CEP Student Conference

The 1998 CEP Student Conference