The two-day meeting in Novi Sad brought together Western Balkans Rectors

The 1st Western Balkans Rectors Forum was officially opened on Monday 24 September 2018 at the Rectorate of the University of Novi Sad. As announced at the international conference The path is the goal: Convergence, Cohesion and Cooperation in South East Europe, which was held in Rome at the end of May 2018 at the Italian Academy of Sciences (Accademia nazionale dei lincei) Novi Sad organized this two-day conference under the title Science and Higher Education in the Western Balkans - Conditions and Perspectives. The Forum is attended by thirty Universities rectors from of Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Croatia and Slovenia, and a representative of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.
A speech and introductory presentation on the topic Science and Higher Education in the Western Balkans Countries by Prof. Dr. Dušan Nikolić, Rector of the University of Novi Sad started the event.
It is expected that well-prepared introductory presentations and open discussions within the Forum will provide an objective, complete and clear insight into the problems and challenges facing the region in these areas, as well as its potential and the outstanding results that are often neglected or groundlessly disputed by the institutions from other parts of Europe and the world.
Through four sessions, ten presentations by representatives of regional universities will be presented. On the Forum’s first day, two sessions were held: Science in Western Balkan Countries and Higher Education in the Western Balkan Countries. In the first session, Prof. Dr. Vladimir Bumbašević, Rector of the University of Belgrade, presented topic Science in the Western Balkans - Is Enthusiasm Sufficient? Dr. Miljenko Šimparga, Vice President of the University of Zagreb, spoke about research and innovation in the European context.
The University of Sarajevo at this important meeting was represented by Rector, Prof. Dr. Rifat Škrijelj who had a presentation on the topic Autonomy and Finance of the University within the second session. Also in the second session, Prof. Dr. Biljana Antunović, Vice-Rector of the University of Banja Luka  spoke on the topic of Internationalization of Science and Education - the example of the University of Banja Luka.
The Forum should enable mutual knowledge exchange and creation of conditions for joint capacity building within the region by intensifying mobility, joint procurement of equipment and publications, joint scientific research and development projects, introduction of joint study programs,
On the second day, two more sessions will be held: Inter-Institutional Cooperation and Joint Capacity Building and Cooperation with institutions outside the region, containing the following presentations:
•    Prof. Dr. Igor Papič, Rector of the University of Ljubljana - "European University Network - What are the Benefits for Our Region"
•    Prof. Dr. Nikola Jankulovski, Rector of the University "St. Cyril and Methodius "in Skopje" Inter-Institutional Cooperation and Joint Capacity Building "
•    Prof. Dr. Danilo Nikolić, Rector of the University of Montenegro - "Inter-Institutional Cooperation"
•    Dr. Gentiana Kera, Vice-Rector of the University of Tirana - "Strategy of Internationalization: University of Tirana Practices and Challenges for the Future"
•    Prof. Dr. Zoran Ren, Vice-Rector of the University of Maribor - "Inter-Institutional Cooperation within the Initiative Project of Open Innovative Technologies in the Danube Region"
•    Mr. Lucian Brujan, Department of International Relations of the German Academy of Sciences Leopold - "Berlin Process"

A part of the Forum will be dedicated to initiatives initiated by other institutions in order to support the development of science and higher education in the Western Balkans-the Berlin process and the so-called Jagel Initiative.
In honor of the first Western Balkans Rectors Forum, in the Rectorate of the University of Novi Sad, a concert will be held where young pianists from the region will perform.
The students of the Universities of Sarajevo, Zagreb, Belgrade and Novi Sad will attend the concert. On that occasion, participants of the First Western Balkans Rector’s Forum will deliver performance for the Forum participants: Helena Herman, student of the Music Academy of the University of Zagreb, Lejla Nurković, student of the Academy of Music of the University of Sarajevo, Viktor Radić, student of the Faculty of Music Arts of the University of Art in Belgrade and Ivana Damjanov, art of the University of Novi Sad. The program will include the works of Ravel, Mesijan, Schubert, List and Korsakov.
For more information visit the Forum’s webpage: www.rfwb.uns.ac.rs.