-         high professional education: structures and program models, trainings, goals, curriculums, degrees, certificates, grades, professional practice, relation between general and high education, passing on higher level of education;

-         high education: changing conditions of studying, changing programs, system of grades and evaluation, flexibility, degrees;

-         linking education, training and work: flexible link between labor market, professional education and training, defining standards in professional education and training, approaching general and professional education, educational profiles and professions.

Beside these general characteristics, that are applied in all countries of Europe, there exist particularities in process of education which are characteristic for some parts of Europe. First of all, this is obvious in all countries of Central and Eastern Europe, where political and social changes conditioned special ways of future development and innovations in education system. All countries in progress, parallely to economic measures, have undertaken specific measures in changing education system. Adequate expert bodies have been established, national programs of reforms have been applied and new directions and mechanisms for their implementation have been brought up that present the base form and mechanism of their installment. The main principles that present the base for reforms in countries of in transition are decentralization, democratization, liberalization, pluralism, possibility of free choice. The basic characteristics of current changes in countries of Eastern and Central Europe are:

-         decentralization in managing and transfer of authorization and obligations on regional and local bodies and schools;

-         abandoning Marxist ideology in education and tendency towards general education;

-         creating authentic school based on national tradition and new Europe trends;

-         giving special role to humanistic subjects, introducing religious education, intensive learning of foreign languages;

-         introducing new subjects, like ecology;

-         introducing interdisciplinary subjects and courses;

-         initiating private capital in all parts of education;

-         reorganization of technical and human resources due to abolishment of military institution.

At the moment of destructing one powerful ideology with all tragic consequences left behind, but also lack of a new, clear vision for better future and great interests in foreign investment in all fields of life, countries in transition find themselves on a cross-road of three possibilities:

1. to fall under strong western influence and take over foreign forms;

2.       to fall into nationalism;

3.       to find original forms inspirited by positive tradition and inheritance, with incorporated new trends of modern society.