History
CEP has been involved in international education since 1991, when it began sending lecturers to Central-Eastern Europe and Eurasia in an effort to reform higher education systems. CEP began its first year with fifteen Fellows in the former Czechoslovakia. During the 2003-04 academic year CEP Fellows were teaching in twenty-two countries, the region of Kosovo, and the republic of Montenegro. Approximately 20,000 students have participated in CEP courses each of the past several years, in fields such as economics, European studies, history, human rights, international relations, law, political science, public administration, and sociology. The courses are selected by the university in cooperation with CEP and the lecturer to cover a broad range of topics.
The Civic Education Project, an international voluntary organization, works to enhance the development of higher and professional education in societies engaged in political and economic transition. CEP is leading the wave of change by supporting academics and professionals in the social sciences to teach and do community outreach. Unlike other programs that only focus on supporting short-term visits by Western lecturers, CEP is one of the first organizations to support dynamic young educators who are native to the region. With cultural and linguistic skills that their Western counterparts do not have, coupled with a desire to return home to make a difference, these young indigenous scholars are a critical component of sustainable education reform.