The 2017 CST-CEE project has provided the baseline for Catholic Social Teaching (CST) education in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) Countries, designed an original course content classification method with the objective to compare and evaluate courses from different education systems, created the first integrated knowledge base of the Catholic and Ecclesiastical Higher Education Institutions (CHEI) providing CST courses.
Some numbers: 6 Countries without any CHEI, 15 Countries with 95 higher education institutions; 85 (79) institutions in 13 countries provide CST courses (only 79 of the 85 collaborated to the research with some information); 218 courses on CST offered, of which 207 active in the last academic year; 115 professors involved, 6 of them are teaching in different institutions. Courses per institution: max 15, average 2.8; courses per professor: max 6, average 1.7.
Strong points: presence of integrated programmes and extensive monographical courses; key institutions offering large number of CST courses; some (limited) networking with professors teaching in different institutions and institutions sharing some courses; some involvement of public institution’ non theological faculties (20% of the courses).
Weak points: Incomplete coverage - 6 CEE Countries with no CHEI (Bulgaria, Estonia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Moldova) and 2 Countries (Albania and Serbia) in which the CHEI do not offer any CST course (38% of CEE Countries); of the 95 institutions identified only 79 offer CST courses (17% of institution do not provide CST courses). Poor sharing of resources – many professors teach in single institution, one single CST course; limited number of courses shared among institutions. Poor communication – limited use of English and/or foreign languages in websites, limited capacity of institution representatives to answer/participate to the research in foreign languages.
Opportunity: The teaching of CST in the CEE region is important and can be improved. It is important as a source of values and orientation in countries that underwent decades of Communist rule and now struggle with the impact of Western liberalism. It can be improved especially through greater collaboration and networking among existing institutions and experts within the region as a whole. Institutions face shared challenges, can benefit from the sharing of best practices, and, by building transnational contacts, can prepare the ground for proposals for project funding. A new CST-CEE initiative might present an innovative approach to supporting the development of such a network, by creating a transnational group of young CST scholars from the CEE in Rome (close to the central institutions of the Church, close to the Papacy, close to new developments in CST), guided by, but also supporting, an Expert Council made up of key leaders from CEE. Together they will work towards the development of the wider network over the next years.
Threats: lack of collaboration from CHEI; poor involvement of local authorities (dioceses), experts and CHEI personnel; poor communication of the potential benefits of the project.