8TH RECTORS' FORUM OF SOUTHEAST EUROPE AND WESTERN BALKANS & 4TH EUTOPIA MORE WORKSHOP
From the 30th to the 31st of May 2024, the University of Sarajevo hosted the 8th meeting of the Rectors Forum of Southeast Europe and Western Balkans.
This regional cooperation was initiated several years ago, and over the past years, the universities of Rijeka, Belgrade and Ljubljana worked together to ensure the successful work of the Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans as an imporatant key regional higher education network. The aim of the Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and Western Balkans is to strengthen cooperation between universities in Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans in the fields of education, research and innovation.
54 representatives from 21 institutions, including 8 rectors and more than 12 vice-rectors, took part in the meeting of the Rectors' Forum of Southeast Europe and Western Balkans.
The first day of the Rectors' Forum Southeast Europe and Western Balkans focused on the future of universities and the activities of the Rectors' Forum and the working groups.
The welcome address was delivered by Prof. Dr. Rifat Škrijelj, Rector of the University of Sarajevo, who stressed that while we are moving through the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century, it is imperative that we foster greater collaboration and cooperation among our institutions. He also said: »By sharing our experiences, resources, and best practices, we can build a stronger, more resilient higher education ecosystem that benefits all our students and researchers.I strongly believe in the power of regional cooperation and university autonomy. Our universities have the potential to steer our countries towards a more positive and progressive direction. This belief has guided my efforts throughout my tenure, and it remains a cornerstone of my vision for the future.«
Anna-Lena Claeys-Kulik and Thomas Ekman Jørgensen, the authors of two influential EUA documents published earlier this year, introduced the discussion on the future of universities. The documents are the result of the UniFE project, one of the most influential and important initiatives of the European University Association. The innovative approach of the report lies in the description of four possible futures for our continent and in the analysis of the impact of these futures on our sector, in particular on transnational university cooperation.
The presentation was followed by a debate and reflection by the university leaders, including Prof. Biljana Angelova, Rector of Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Prof. Enita Nakaš, Vice-Rector of the University of Sarajevo for International Cooperation, Prof. Igor Nedelkovski, Rector of the University of Bitola and Prof. Gregor Majdič, Rector of the University of Ljubljana, who discussed the potential and various future perspectives of higher education, research and innovation across Europe, with a special focus on Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans. The panel discussion was moderated by Prof. Snježana Prijić-Samaržija, Rector of the University of Rijeka and President of the Rectors’ Forum for Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans.
After the presentation of the Rectors' Forum of Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans and the activities of the working groups, the participants discussed the use of the research infrastructure under the leadership of Siniša Marčić from the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC).
It was also decided that a corporate identity for the Rectors' Forum for South Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans should be developed and that new initiatives for membership should be discussed and decided at the next General Assembly in Bitola in September.
Several universities in the region have committed to join and cooperate with the network of Centres for Advanced Studies (CAS) and have signed the agreement on the regional CAS network: the University of Rijeka, the University of Belgrade, the University of Montenegro, the University of SS. Cyril and Methodius, the University of Sarajevo, the University of Prishtina Hasan Prishtina, the University of Tirana and the University of Ljubljana. The Centre for Advanced Studies Southeast Europe (CAS SEE) is a regional centre for postdoctoral research under the direction of the University of Rijeka.
The members of the Rectors' Forum of Southeast Europe and Western Balkans also work together on various projects and activities. The University of Arts in Belgrade, the University of Kragujevac and Alma Mater Europaea signed memorandums of understanding with the University of Sarajevo during the event to promote and deepen further cooperation.
In the afternoon, the participants split into three parallel working groups to address the challenges facing higher education and research in this part of Europe. The first and second working groups, which dealt with the development of education and science policy and the progress and development of higher education programmes in Southeast Europe, were led by Prof. Marta Žuvić, Vice-Rector for Studies, Students and Quality Assurance at the University of Rijeka. The third group focused on progress in research and innovation and was led by Prof. Boštjan Markoli, Vice-Rector for Internationalisation and Quality at the University of Ljubljana.
