Education after Totalitarianism: Legacies and Transformations in Central and Eastern Europe
International Scientific Conference
October 1–2, 2026
The years 1989–1991 marked a historic turning point when the nations of Central and Eastern Europe freed themselves from Soviet and socialist systems and entered a new phase of democratic statehood, cultural development, and societal transformation. Education became one of the key arenas of this transition. Across the region, education systems underwent profound changes in values, institutional structures, and curricular content, moving away from ideologically driven models toward more open systems fostering critical thinking, civic responsibility, and European integration.
The conference focuses on the transformation of education systems in Lithuania and other Central and Eastern European countries after 1989–1991, from early reforms to present-day challenges. More than three decades later, these processes reveal both shared regional patterns and significant differences. Most countries have undergone similar developments, including cycles of decentralization and recentralization, implementation of the Bologna Process, and ongoing digitalization with the growing influence of artificial intelligence. These changes have been accompanied by a stronger emphasis on inclusive education, rising concerns about data protection and cybersecurity, and simultaneous trends toward greater inclusion and increasing polarization.
Compared to neighbouring countries, Lithuania’s trajectory reflects both shared regional trends and distinct national developments. The reform of the Soviet education system began with the introduction of the concept of a national school, which since the early 1990s has evolved into a model increasingly integrated into the European educational space and oriented toward the promotion of liberal democratic values. Since 1990, non-state schools have also emerged alongside state institutions, established not only by commercial actors but also by local communities. Through the adoption of globally recognized educational paradigms—such as Catholic and other Christian approaches, Montessori, Waldorf, Summerhill, humanistic, open-air, and Suzuki methods—as well as the development of locally distinctive models, educational diversity has significantly expanded. However, key challenges remain, including regional disparities, inequality among schools as communities and institutions, the declining prestige of the teaching profession, bureaucratisation, and uneven reform implementation, as well as a mismatch of existing school buildings with the spatial needs of up-to-date educational methods.
This conference aims to examine and compare the transformation of education systems in Lithuania and other Central and Eastern European countries from 1989–1991 to the present day. It seeks to explore both the historical foundations of educational reform and the contemporary challenges shaping the future of education in the region.
