INTRODUCTION So-called 'countries in transition' are undergoing huge political and economic change, as a result of which they not only find themselves facing the challenges of adopting the market economy and western democracy, but also those related to becoming fully-fledged members of the emerging knowledge society. Western countries have come to face the challenges posed by the knowledge society after many years of rather stable and successful development, which enables them to benefit from these challenges by enhancing their development even further, in a geometric progression kind of way. At the same time, the 'countries in transition', the latecomers to the market economy, have to go at a double pace in order to place themselves on the path of rapid development and to survive in the knowledge-based competition. Being able to jump onto this path requires strong forces either from outside or inside of the countries, or both. The authors joined in this symposium believe that one such inside force possessing the 'multiplier effect' could be universities which should serve as the 'engine of progress', both exploring the benefits and problems related to the knowledge society and helping their countries to respond to its challenges in efficient ways. However, to rise up to this task, universities in the countries in transition, as indeed everywhere, must first of all undergo their own transformation processes. Only then they will be able to lead their countries to the higher stage of national economic and social development. Thus, the symposium will focus on the challenges and tasks facing the universities in the countries in transition which aim to join the knowledge society, with particular consideration of the university role in competence development, social innovation, and the evolution of regional clusters.