About CEECE

Central European Education and Cultural Exchange (CEECE) was founded in 1999 to provide study abroad programs to college and university students.  We are an independent educational organization funded by student program fees.  

From the very beginning we have focused on developing programs that have an enhanced cultural component.  We strive to provide a cultural environment that provides a "living" classroom and offers more immersion in the local culture and environment than traditional programs.   

Do you want to make a difference in the world? Do you want to improve your qualifications and job prospects?  If you want to be a diplomat,  journalist, lawyer,  doctor, teacher, businessperson, or engineer, CEECE is here for you!  No matter what your career goal, international experience is essential in todays global economy!  

Hundreds of students from hundreds of different colleges and universities have attended our programs.  For a list of colleges and universities of accepted students click here  Students on our programs are from different colleges and universities across the United States.  We have also had students from Canada, Holland, France, Japan, and Poland attend our programs

Currently, CEECE has study abroad programs at colleges and universities in three central European countries including; Prague, Czech Republic, Budapest, Hungary, and Krakow, Poland.  

Message from executive director and founder of CEECE

Welcome to our website!  I hope you find all the information you are looking for about CEECE and our programs.  CEECE is pleased to offer Fall, Winter Intersession, Spring, Summer, and Academic Year programs.  I founded CEECE with the goal of making studying abroad a real cultural exchange and not just a group of Americans taking the same exact courses and all living isolated from the local population.  

When I studied abroad in Prague in 1994, it was one of the best experiences of my life.  Yet there was something laking.  I was studying a lot about the Czech culture, but I felt that I was isolated from it and had limited interaction with Czechs.  The program followed the traditional program model where all of us took the same exact courses that were taught especially for our group of about ten students.  Thus, there was little if any contact with Czech students in our classes.  

When I looked for a study abroad program, I looked for a high quality program with highly qualified staff.  I was confident that I had found what I was looking for.  However, after I arrived in Prague I found out that most U.S. based International educational organizations have 90% or more of their staff in the United States.  When they are on a different continent they can not help you much while you are abroad!  Our resident director in Prague had poor administrative skills and had little if any contact with the organization in the United States.  Simple problems took weeks to resolve.    

I spend the majority of my time overseas with our programs.  I feel it is extremely important that I know firsthand that our programs are running smoothly.  It is very difficult to know that for sure sitting in an office in Michigan reading reports.  At CEECE we pay close attention to how the programs design and organization effects cultural interaction and immersion.  We make sure that you are not taking classes only with other CEECE students and that you have contact with the local culture in your classes and accommodation.  

I highly encourage you and every student to study abroad.  We hope to see you on a CEECE program soon! 

Best Regards, 

Eric Molengraf 

Executive Director 

CEECE