Date: 22-23 October 2019
Location: Royal & Spa Hotel (Durres, Albania)
The Cluster Meeting on the CBHE Project’s Impact in the Western Balkans was held in Durres, Albania, on 22-23 October 2019. The Cluster Meeting was organised by EACEA, EAC and the NEO Albania in the framework of the CBHE action of the Erasmus + programme. It brought together 73 Joint Project and 15 Structural Project, more than 120 local stakeholders from the Higher Education (HE) sector as well as CBHE projects implemented in Western Balkans (WB), run in order to:
- Discuss the EU funded projects/programmes impact on the WB HE sectors in terms of regional cooperation, modernisation, accessibility and internationalisation of the HE;
- Provide local/regional visibility to the E+ programme and its funded projects, thereby contributing to maximising their impact;
- Facilitate exchanges of good practice, sharing of knowledge and networking of CBHE projects to enhance their quality, impact and sustainability;
- Reflect on the actual needs of the HE sectors in WB and on the way the future EU education programme for 2021-2027 could address these needs.
The two days meeting adopted a participatory approach and included a complementary mix of plenary sessions (e.g. testimonials from project coordinators), 4 interactive workshops and space for networking. This approach will be covered two aspects:
- Determine the state of play of the CBHE Programme in WB: through the exchange of best practices, identification of success stories as well as specific academic (/administrative /legal) constraints and difficulties linked to the implementation our international cooperation projects in WB.
- Discuss the impact and sustainability of project results in the HE sectors in WB: workshops and discussions will revolve around the following topics: regional cooperation, HEIs’ links with society and business, CBHE projects’ impact on HE systems as well as the modernisation, accessibility, quality and internationalisation of the HEIs in the WB.
The Regional Cluster Meeting also constituted a good opportunity to stimulate the analysis and debate on the current Erasmus+ programme and used this to nurtured the future EU education programme.
Two main outcomes:
Publication with the conclusions of the ‘Regional Cluster Meeting on the impact of Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) projects in the Western Balkans’
Video for capitalization of experience
Regional Cluster Meeting Capacity Building in Higher EDUCATION PROJECTS’ impact in the Western Balkans
22-23 October 2019
Royal & Spa Hotel (Durrës, Albania)
22 October 2019
| 09:00- 09:30 | Registration and Welcome Coffee |
| 09:30-10:00 | Chairman
(Anila Troshani – Head of Sector Erasmus+: Higher Education – International Capacity Building (CBHE), European Education and Culture Executive Agency) Welcome speeches · Ministry of Education Sport and Youth (Egest Gjokuta, Head of Sector Preparation and Feasibility of Projects in Scientific Research) · Delegation of the European Union to Albania (Xheni Sinakoli, Programme Manager, EEAS-TIRANA, Albania) |
| 10:00-10:30 | Capacity Building in the field of Higher Education in the Western Balkans
(Anila Troshani – Head of Sector Erasmus+: Higher Education – International Capacity Building (CBHE), European Education and Culture Executive Agency) |
| 10:30-11:00 | Regional cooperation, modernisation, accessibility and internationalisation in the Western Balkans. Presentation of three projects.
ELEMEND – Aphrodite Ktena (Ethniko Kai Kapodistriako Panepistimio Athinon, Greece) 22 Oct_RCM_Best Practice ELEMEND TEACHER – Selma Seta (University of Travnik, Bosnia Herzegovina) 22 Oct_RCM_Best Practice _Teacher TEAVET – Javier Vidal (University of León, Spain) and Eva Cipi (University of Vlora, Albania) |
| 11:00-11:30 | Coffee Break |
| 11:30-12:15 | Continuation Presentation of three projects. |
| 12:30-18:30 | Parallel Workshops
(4 repeated workshops of one hour each) Lunch break 13:30- 14:45 Coffee break 15:45-16:15 |
| Workshop 1 – Strengthening the links with society and business to improve student and staff competencies and skills and thereby enhance the employability of graduates.
Facilitator: Suad Muhibic (Coordinator National Erasmus+ Office Bosnia Herzegovina) Rapporteur: Ivana Perkovic (University of Arts in Belgrade, Serbia. Coordinator of Demusis Project) |
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| Workshop 2 – CBHE projects supporting modernisation, quality, accessibility and internationalisation of universities in the Western Balkans.
Facilitator: Vanja Drljevic (Coordinator National Erasmus+ Office Montenegro) Rapporteur: Selma Seta (University of Travnik, Bosnia Herzegovina- Coordinator of TEACHER Project) |
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| Workshop 3 – CBHE projects producing an impact on higher education systems and promoting reforms at national and/or regional level in the Western Balkans.
Facilitator: Erida Curraj (National Erasmus+ Office Albania) Rapporteur: Radovan Stojanovic (Javna Ustanova Univerzitet CRNE Gore Podgorica, Montenegro. Coordinator of MARDS project.) |
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| Workshop 4 – CBHE fostering regional cooperation in Western Balkans and convergence with EU developments in higher education.
Facilitator: Jehona Lushaku (Coordinator Erasmus+ Office in Kosovo) Rapporteur: Ornela Vladi (European University of Tirana. Office for Project Development and Partnership. E-Viva Project) |
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| 18:45-20:10 | City Tour |
| 20:30-22:00 | Dinner (Royal & Spa Hotel) |
23 October 2019
| Plenary | |
| 10:00-11:30 | Conclusions of the Workshops
(Rapporteurs 4 workshops) 23 Oct_RCM_Conclusions Workshop 1+2 |
| 11:30-12:00 | Coffee Break |
| 12:00-12:30 | EU funded regional cooperation in education: a shared commitment
(Albert Sesé Ballart, Desk officer for the Western Balkans, Directorate- General Education, Youth, Sport and Culture) |
| 12:30-13:00 | Brainstorming for the future programme
Chairman (Albert Sesé Ballart, Desk officer for the Western Balkans, Directorate- General Education, Youth, Sport and Culture) |
| 13:00-13:30 | Closing remarks
(Anila Troshani – Head of Sector Erasmus+: Higher Education – International Capacity Building (CBHE), European Education and Culture Executive Agency) |
