Mission & Objectives

Organization

Our network: the Third Sector Studies International Academic Network in Central Eastern Europe consists of teachers, experts and researchers interested  in promoting University/College level Third Sector Studies in CEE. The network primarly consists of core members representing different CEE countries who actively contribute to the achievements of the network's objectives. 
Furthermore our network reaches and connects approx. 100 addresses from  Central and Western Europe and from the United States, creating a reference forum for promoting Third Sector Studies in CEE.

For detailed contact information of the core members and of our reference forum please check the "Third Sector Studies International Academic Network Contacts and Discussion Group " section.

Mission

Our mission is to promote further understanding of the Third Sector in Central and Eastern Europe. As higher education is crucial in the sustainability and in the quality development of the sector we believe that promoting University/College level Third Sector Studies is a key for understanding the sector.

Goal

Our goal in the mid term is to establish and strengthen a network which would serve as a reference organization for developing Third sector Studies in higher education by

• promoting cooperation and exchange of information among teachers, researchers, founders, nonprofit organizations and other parties interested in University/College level Third Sector Studies in the region;
• collecting and circulating regionally sensitive educational materials about the third sector to help the launching of such courses and improving ongoing courses;
• maintaining a free information resource center and a network on University/College level Third Sector Studies.
• linking together and coordinating several individuals, institutions, existing networks and initiatives deliberate on Third Sector Studies in the region.
• In the long term we intend to establish an Interuniversity network of Universities and Colleges involved in Third Sector Studies covering the region and to publish a journal focusing on regional higher educational and research issues.

Objectives

1. The network would continuously collect curriculum related material and share it to any interested client upon request and through its web site. Results, methodologies of past and ongoing Third Sector related research would also be collected as well as bibliographies developed for teaching.
2. Selected materials available only in local languages will be translated into English.
3. The work will require continuous cooperation with practitioners and with several Universities and research centers involved in NGO related teaching and research. Students from NGO courses will be involved as volunteers in ongoing activities. Students will also be encouraged to get engaged in collecting data and translation work.
4. The cooperation and communication among members as well as the broader community will be eased, maintained and coordinated by the Third Sector Institute network-initiative: the Third Sector Studies in CEE discussion list-group and the Third Sector Studies in CEE web site .

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