Why transitional public relations methodologies are needed for the reform of higher education in the countries of central and eastern Europe

This essay reflects upon the themes that emerged from the “Public Relations—An Instrument for the Transformation and Development of Higher Education in Central and Eastern Europe” seminar, for which the articles appearing in this issue of Higher Education in Europe were originally prepared. The transitional public relations approach, which was developed and introduced to the world public relations literature by the author, is used to analyze the impact of this type of public relations on the reform of higher education in the former communist countries of Europe. The main conclusion is that, in view of the common communist heritage of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the application of public relations strategies and instruments in higher education accelerates and facilitates reform of this key area of the economy and also causes it to become more effective. The above statement is particularly valid for private universities.