Annual Report 2002.

This report of the Center for Policy Studies (CPS) of the Central European University (CEU) for
2002 demonstrates the range of activities in which it has become engaged. The underlying aim during
the year has been to build up the CPS as an academic unit within the CEU. The centre is dedicated to
identifying and analysing policy issues, and then disseminating the analysis in terms that can be of
assistance to policy-makers. Its place within a university environment is fundamental to an
understanding of its character and its goals. Universities are the primary research institutions in
modern societies, but all too often the results of research and their relevance to practical social issues
are lost to the wider world. CPS is dedicated to making research and its implications more widely
available.
The CPS is founded on the conviction that good research in the social sciences, whether
practical or theoretical, can illuminate social issues and help to solve social problems. It can be both a
source of guidance and inspiration for those charged with making hard policy decisions. The CPS is
poised between two distinct worlds. As an academic institution, it has access to the great range of
research being done in universities around the world. On the other hand, it is a part of the research
community of the Central European University in which it participates with a research program of its
own. At the same time, the CPS provides a window onto the world of practical social problems and
policy choices. Here, through seminars, workshops, and publications, it can draw attention to just
how relevant the fruits of research can be.