This paper gives an overview about the project ‘SALiS– Student Active Learning in Science’, funded by the TEMPUS program of the EU for 2010-2012. SAliS is a reform initiative for middle and eastern European countries to innovate science teaching and teacher education. SALiS seeks to overcome a centralized and teacher-centered paradigm in science education as it is still predominant in different countries of central and Eastern Europe. Intended change concerns more student-active and problem-based science education under inclusion of students’ hands-on and inquiry-based learning in the lab. Within an international network, ten partners from six countries work on establishing sustainable change i.e. in the training practices of prospective and in-service science teachers.