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The article explores the rationale of the Romanian political community as defined by its successive constitutional layouts, since the first fundamental law of 1866, including the Communist constitutional settings, and concluding with the post-communist constitutional design. This consistency of the political community is tested by means of an analytical distinction between the Nation-State and the National State. The former is understood as the institutional underpinning of a community bearing a political project. The latter is seen as the institutional outcome of an ethnic group and the warrant of its political integrity. Such an examination of the Romanian constitutional production sheds light on the historical and unambiguous predominance of the National State, while the Nation State emerged briefly and warily in the Romanian setting in the form of the socialist nation state. By the same token, this approach questions the adequacy between democracy and this rationale of the Romanian political community. While the socialist Nation State, as it was constitutionally designed, failed to guarantee the effectiveness of popular democracy, the Romanian National State, as it was shaped by the successive constitutional texts, pre-communist and post-communist, was always unable to accommodate completely with democracy.

Over the last decade the issues concerning higher education quality and its assurance have become very important in European countries therefore the aim of this article is to carry out a comparative analysis of conditions that determined introduction of accreditation process in Western and Central / Eastern European countries and to discuss Lithuania's case. Methods: literature analysis, document analysis, causative – comparative analysis. First of all the experience of European countries in the field of introduction of higher education accreditation is analysed. In the second part the influence of Bologna process on the expansion of accreditation process is presented. In the second part Lithuania's case is discussed. The conclusions are presented in the end of the article. Having analysed the experience of European countries in the field of higher education quality assurance, it can be stated that Western and Central / Eastern European countries chose different ways and time for introduction of accreditation process because of different political, social, and cultural situations. The demand for accreditation procedures gained extreme importance in Europe after the acceptance of The Bologna declaration. Nevertheless quality assurance was not the strong point of Bologna declaration, further documents of this process and its initiated reforms filled in the gap paying enormous attention to the aspects of quality and naming accreditation as one of the possible ways to assure quality Lithuania adopted accreditation together with most Central / Eastern European countries during the first generation of implementation of accreditation mechanisms.

Over the last decade the issues concerning higher education quality and its assurance have become very important in European countries therefore the aim of this article is to carry out a comparative analysis of conditions that determined introduction of accreditation process in Western and Central / Eastern European countries and to discuss Lithuania's case. Methods: literature analysis, document analysis, causative – comparative analysis. First of all the experience of European countries in the field of introduction of higher education accreditation is analysed. In the second part the influence of Bologna process on the expansion of accreditation process is presented. In the second part Lithuania's case is discussed. The conclusions are presented in the end of the article. Having analysed the experience of European countries in the field of higher education quality assurance, it can be stated that Western and Central / Eastern European countries chose different ways and time for introduction of accreditation process because of different political, social, and cultural situations. The demand for accreditation procedures gained extreme importance in Europe after the acceptance of The Bologna declaration. Nevertheless quality assurance was not the strong point of Bologna declaration, further documents of this process and its initiated reforms filled in the gap paying enormous attention to the aspects of quality and naming accreditation as one of the possible ways to assure quality Lithuania adopted accreditation together with most Central / Eastern European countries during the first generation of implementation of accreditation mechanisms.

The Bologna declaration stresses the importance of education and educational co-operation in the development and strengthening of stable, peaceful and democratic societies. Additionally the declaration highlights the need to promote European co-operation in quality assurance with a view to develop comparable criteria and methodologies. The cooperative activity of universities created preconditions for students' mobility under the Leonardo da Vinci and Socrates programmes. Hence, a comparison of efficiency of engineering education studies at partner institutions has become a topical issue. The paper presents the problems related to engineering education quality at different universities and suggests a system of indicators that are applicable for education quality estimation. The main idea is to compare the distinguished aspects of the education process and to evaluate quality of teaching. The efficiency of different subjects (social and engineering) is estimated by applying sets of criteria, to be implemented by incorporating a proposed system of criteria into questionnaires for students at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VGTU), who participate in student mobility programmes. Processing of the received responses let the author achieve the ultimate aim, i.e. to trace differences in the quality of teaching. Policy implications in the field of engineering education quality management are seen as main outcome of presented research.

The Bologna declaration stresses the importance of education and educational co-operation in the development and strengthening of stable, peaceful and democratic societies. Additionally the declaration highlights the need to promote European co-operation in quality assurance with a view to develop comparable criteria and methodologies. The cooperative activity of universities created preconditions for students' mobility under the Leonardo da Vinci and Socrates programmes. Hence, a comparison of efficiency of engineering education studies at partner institutions has become a topical issue. The paper presents the problems related to engineering education quality at different universities and suggests a system of indicators that are applicable for education quality estimation. The main idea is to compare the distinguished aspects of the education process and to evaluate quality of teaching. The efficiency of different subjects (social and engineering) is estimated by applying sets of criteria, to be implemented by incorporating a proposed system of criteria into questionnaires for students at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VGTU), who participate in student mobility programmes. Processing of the received responses let the author achieve the ultimate aim, i.e. to trace differences in the quality of teaching. Policy implications in the field of engineering education quality management are seen as main outcome of presented research.

Development of modern democracy and civic consciousness in the society of spectacle and mass manipulation are the main object of the article. Democratic self government depends both on individual, responsible solutions of citizens and on social, cultural or political propaganda. Propaganda is interpreted as a special, focused persuasion for motivation, consolidation, education purposes. Differences and similarities between social engineering, social propaganda, social marketing and social advertisement are discussed in the paper. Social marketing is interpreted as the response to social needs and the main demands of local people. On the contrary, social propaganda is more didactic, perspective and tries to motivate people for productive activities. Social marketing is more effective in a short period and social propaganda is more useful in a long perspective. Differences between reportage, daily media and propaganda are discussed in the article. Social propaganda needs participatory media. Various forms of participatory media (embedded, engaged and embodied) are analyzed. The topic of social engineering is analyzed on the basis of K. Popper's considerations. Popper differentiates between utopian or totalitarian engineering and "piecemeal social engineering". Popper's conception of utopian engineering is partly criticized. Every big social project is not only a form of elimination of mistakes; it also has utopian features and dream perspectives. The truth of democratic development couldn't be evaluated only by Popper's principle of fallibilism. More important are the alternative, competitive forms of social propaganda and open public discussions. [.]

Development of modern democracy and civic consciousness in the society of spectacle and mass manipulation are the main object of the article. Democratic self government depends both on individual, responsible solutions of citizens and on social, cultural or political propaganda. Propaganda is interpreted as a special, focused persuasion for motivation, consolidation, education purposes. Differences and similarities between social engineering, social propaganda, social marketing and social advertisement are discussed in the paper. Social marketing is interpreted as the response to social needs and the main demands of local people. On the contrary, social propaganda is more didactic, perspective and tries to motivate people for productive activities. Social marketing is more effective in a short period and social propaganda is more useful in a long perspective. Differences between reportage, daily media and propaganda are discussed in the article. Social propaganda needs participatory media. Various forms of participatory media (embedded, engaged and embodied) are analyzed. The topic of social engineering is analyzed on the basis of K. Popper's considerations. Popper differentiates between utopian or totalitarian engineering and "piecemeal social engineering". Popper's conception of utopian engineering is partly criticized. Every big social project is not only a form of elimination of mistakes; it also has utopian features and dream perspectives. The truth of democratic development couldn't be evaluated only by Popper's principle of fallibilism. More important are the alternative, competitive forms of social propaganda and open public discussions. [.]

Clinical legal education originated in United States of America as a balance for Langdell and Socratic methods. Though first steps were taken in the begging of the 20th century, it took nearly 50 years to gain its recognition. The main reason was the uncertain content of this education method. However, emerging in various parts of USA in different ways, it has reached a quality in content and in outcome. Clinical legal education consists of number of factors, therefore it is essential to modify clinics taking in account all of them. The factors include: the content of education, the structure of clinic, the personnel, the financial aid and attitude in society (both law school and outside), traditions and others. It should be stated that actualization of these factors is a guarantee to qualified integration of clinical legal education to legal studies programs. During the Third wave of clinical education, the method spread to the other countries and created a worldwide family of legal clinics. Regrettably, not every country managed to adopt clinical education to their legal education systems. Firstly, because educators were inflexible with the systems, they tried to implement their way of education. Secondly, number of circumstances: political, cultural, social, ethnical – were too influential to confront. Though in Lithuania clinical legal education method was adopted only in 1998, it was successfully integrated with support from Open Society Institute and clinicians from the USA. It surely needs further adjustments, but at the moment it is a satisfactory example. Seeking the quality of gained education as well as insurance of free legal aid, clinical legal education should seek for a closer cooperation with law schools and develop clinical traditions.

Clinical legal education originated in United States of America as a balance for Langdell and Socratic methods. Though first steps were taken in the begging of the 20th century, it took nearly 50 years to gain its recognition. The main reason was the uncertain content of this education method. However, emerging in various parts of USA in different ways, it has reached a quality in content and in outcome. Clinical legal education consists of number of factors, therefore it is essential to modify clinics taking in account all of them. The factors include: the content of education, the structure of clinic, the personnel, the financial aid and attitude in society (both law school and outside), traditions and others. It should be stated that actualization of these factors is a guarantee to qualified integration of clinical legal education to legal studies programs. During the Third wave of clinical education, the method spread to the other countries and created a worldwide family of legal clinics. Regrettably, not every country managed to adopt clinical education to their legal education systems. Firstly, because educators were inflexible with the systems, they tried to implement their way of education. Secondly, number of circumstances: political, cultural, social, ethnical – were too influential to confront. Though in Lithuania clinical legal education method was adopted only in 1998, it was successfully integrated with support from Open Society Institute and clinicians from the USA. It surely needs further adjustments, but at the moment it is a satisfactory example. Seeking the quality of gained education as well as insurance of free legal aid, clinical legal education should seek for a closer cooperation with law schools and develop clinical traditions.

Maritime education and training (MET) in Lithuania has deep historical roots. The place, name and jurisdiction of Lithuanian MET institutions have been changed several times. The first seamen examination institution in Klaipėda was founded in 1811. Nowadays there are two higher MET institutions, having basic programs leading to deck and engineering officer watchkeeping certificate: Lithuanian Maritime College and Klaipėda University Maritime Institute. These two high schools are among 96 EU MET institutions. There are 165 MET institutions in EU (25 countries), Norway and Iceland, 69 of them provide education and training for rating and other maritime specialists, offer short courses, researches and other services for maritime industry. MET institutions have different institutional structures and administration. They can be organized as universities, academies, colleges, vocational, technical schools, and higher polytechnics, state-owned and private. 25% are maritime academies (universities), 23% are faculties or departments in polytechnics, and colleges are 46% of all EU MET institutions leading to certificate of competence. The academic degree (bachelor, master) together with the maritime certificate is provided in some of EU countries. MET in Lithuania (also in the other EU countries) is provided in accordance to legal acts of three levels: international (world wide) legal acts, international (Europe Union) legal acts and national legal acts, which set norms for academic. [to full text]

Maritime education and training (MET) in Lithuania has deep historical roots. The place, name and jurisdiction of Lithuanian MET institutions have been changed several times. The first seamen examination institution in Klaipėda was founded in 1811. Nowadays there are two higher MET institutions, having basic programs leading to deck and engineering officer watchkeeping certificate: Lithuanian Maritime College and Klaipėda University Maritime Institute. These two high schools are among 96 EU MET institutions. There are 165 MET institutions in EU (25 countries), Norway and Iceland, 69 of them provide education and training for rating and other maritime specialists, offer short courses, researches and other services for maritime industry. MET institutions have different institutional structures and administration. They can be organized as universities, academies, colleges, vocational, technical schools, and higher polytechnics, state-owned and private. 25% are maritime academies (universities), 23% are faculties or departments in polytechnics, and colleges are 46% of all EU MET institutions leading to certificate of competence. The academic degree (bachelor, master) together with the maritime certificate is provided in some of EU countries. MET in Lithuania (also in the other EU countries) is provided in accordance to legal acts of three levels: international (world wide) legal acts, international (Europe Union) legal acts and national legal acts, which set norms for academic. [to full text]

Maritime education and training (MET) in Lithuania has deep historical roots. The place, name and jurisdiction of Lithuanian MET institutions have been changed several times. The first seamen examination institution in Klaipėda was founded in 1811. Nowadays there are two higher MET institutions, having basic programs leading to deck and engineering officer watchkeeping certificate: Lithuanian Maritime College and Klaipėda University Maritime Institute. These two high schools are among 96 EU MET institutions. There are 165 MET institutions in EU (25 countries), Norway and Iceland, 69 of them provide education and training for rating and other maritime specialists, offer short courses, researches and other services for maritime industry. MET institutions have different institutional structures and administration. They can be organized as universities, academies, colleges, vocational, technical schools, and higher polytechnics, state-owned and private. 25% are maritime academies (universities), 23% are faculties or departments in polytechnics, and colleges are 46% of all EU MET institutions leading to certificate of competence. The academic degree (bachelor, master) together with the maritime certificate is provided in some of EU countries. MET in Lithuania (also in the other EU countries) is provided in accordance to legal acts of three levels: international (world wide) legal acts, international (Europe Union) legal acts and national legal acts, which set norms for academic. [to full text]