| Abstract: | The author begins by defining “civil society” and then traces the historical origins of the concept. He summarizes the views in regard to civil society of the Council of Europe and explains how these views are reflected in the reform programmes developed by the organization for central and eastern Europe after 1989. The author concludes his article with a discussion of the role and place of higher education in civil society with reference to a major Council of Europe programme, the Legislative Reform Programme for Higher Education and Research. |
