The communication portal Knowledge Base Social Sciences in Eastern Europe offers a living and long term mapping of the social science disciplines in Eastern Europe. It was developed by GESIS Service Agency Eastern Europe in cooperation with Collegium Budapest and Maison des Sciences de l'Homme and it aims to support East-West scientific communication, cooperation and information exchange in West and Eastern Europe. The country studies provide qualified expertise and background information which are linked to relevant facts and information collections related to the area.

The knowledge base provides:

• Discipline specific country reports presenting the development of social science disciplines in Eastern Europe as well as the most important actors, institutions and journals for each discipline

• Links to further internet resources pertaining to Eastern European social sciences e.g. networks, scientific events, journals etc.

• Cross-section access to the content which facilitates comparisons between countries and disciplines

• Platform for a scientific discussion

The knowledge base intends to create a foundation for an expert network. It provides a framework for an interactive communication, updating and enriching the site by further reports written by experts and is designed to serve as an infrastructure medium for East-West networking. Gradual integration of the tools for content expansion and discussion as well as linking up with the Europe-wide networking projects is envisaged.

The Knowledge Base project is open for further collaborators and invites all interested social scientists and further partners to participate in its development.