The challenges of attracting an retaining academic talent. Central and Eastern European perspectives

Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries are currently facing strong imperatives to increase incoming academic staff mobility. In this article, we focus on barriers and facilitators of academic mobility. We provide examples of Lithuanian and Czech higher education systems that are based on literature reviews and statistics coupled with interviews, focus groups and survey data. Barriers inhibiting academic staff’s mobility in these countries are constituted by low salary levels, lack of transparency and openness in recruitment and promotion procedures, bureaucracy and language barriers. There is also strong dissatisfaction with the lack of institutional support in overcoming these barriers. Facilitators that aid staff mobility include increased programmes taught in English, the provision of language courses, transparency of job openings, favourable visa procedures, residence permits and accommodation conditions. European initiatives have aided to facilitate incoming mobility in CEE countries, including Erasmus+, Marie Curie actions and Euraxess