The Centre for the Study of Transition and Development (CESTRAD) is a specialized unit for research and training on the economics and politics of transition. CESTRAD is a platform for researchers and policy analysts from governments and NGOs in transition and OECD countries.

Goals and mission

CESTRAD focuses on the transition from planned to market economies that has been taking place in particular since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent disintegration of the Soviet bloc. It carried out research in countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union and the Asian Transitional Economies such as China, Mongolia, and Vietnam.

Current research also includes development processes in the ‘periphery of Europe’, or the ‘new neighbours’ (in the East). This region has become more important, after the recent accession of several Central-and Eastern European economies into the EU-25.

Attached to CESTRAD are scholars who share an interest in transition economics and the political economy of structural transformation, in an overall context of globalisation of the world economy. The Centre’s main goal is to ensure that the transition economies and their specific problems are kept on the development and international agenda and that issues such as poverty and inequality remain within the focus of public attention.

Research

CESTRAD stimulates and undertakes research, policy analysis and training related to transitional economies in a number of specific fields of transition and development, within the complex processes of social, economic and political change taking place in transition countries.

CESTRAD contributes to human resource development in transition economies (academic researchers, policy makers, civil servants and members of civil society organisations), through institutional capacity building projects, advisory services, policy analysis and the development of special educational modules on transition economies.

The academic staff attached to CESTRAD regularly publish working papers, books, articles in peer-reviewed international journals, and chapters in edited volumes.  In addition to these thematic publications, the Centre also edits a book series on 'Transition and Development'.