Higher education and academia have been central pillars of the modern state in creating a new political and social elite. In Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe, these new elites were first educated in the big European centers of higher education, in particular Germany and the Habsburg monarchy. Over time, new national centers of higher education emerged, often with the role to to strengthen the new nation states. Contributions in this book explore ruptures and continuities of higher education in the countries of Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe. They focus on academic migration, the impact of the nation state on the academia, as well as the Communist legacies and challenges of transition. Florian Bieber is a Professor of Southeast European History and Politics at the University of Graz and Director of the Centre for Southeast European Studies. Harald Heppner is a Professor of Southeast European History at the University of Graz and Director of the Department of History.