Distance education as a way to meet the challenges of the XXI century

Fast economic progress generates for societies the necessity of quickly learning new skills and, in consequence, the need for permanent education. The paper deals with some challenges in education as a result of globalization in today's world. It presents the organization of distance education, knowledge delivery problems, as well as the advantages, especially for countries such as those in Central Europe, where the need for new, well-educated workers is still growing.