This group has grown out of a work team, which has been in existence since the beginning of the 1980's, and has the intention of supplementing the traditional empirical sociological point of view in social science research of educational issues with a political science one. Basic and applied researches are regarded with equal importance. The most important related fields of science are political science, history, sociology, law and economics. "Educational policy approach" means the observation of changes in education that are influenced by decisions and targets made and determined by general and individual preferences, on both micro and macro levels, choosing values, and by following tradition (with a more extended effect than just a certain individual's schooling). The venues of these educational policy decisions may range from particular educational institutes through government and parliament to international organizations. The other focus of the research is "politics of education" studying and interpreting the field of politics with its extended sense, as an "environmental condition" for education, as well as analysing the political effects, beyond educational policy, of educational decisions and educational processes. The group pays particular attention to Hungarian and European educational policies, especially tertiary education, up to the end of 20th and the beginning of 21st century.