The Albanian Erasmus+ Office and Albanian HERE team jointly organized the National HERE Seminar on ‘Inclusivity, acceptance of student diversity and disadvantaged groups’’, was held online on 3-4 December 2024.
The two days seminar was attended by representatives from several public and private universities, including vice-rectors, deans, and representatives of international relations offices.
Both SPHERE experts Mr. Ninoslav Schmidt and Mrs. Ana Skledar shared their valuable expertise with the online audience for two days.
Below, you can find the recommendations of this seminar:
- There should be an increased awareness of the importance of ensuring equity and inclusion in higher education.
- Main challenges need to be identified in the Albanian and European Higher Education Area (EHEA).
- A foundation for designing a roadmap needs to be established for addressing key equity and inclusion priorities in Albanian Higher Education.
- More efforts should be made to eliminate underrepresented groups of learners.
- Conditions should be ensured and barriers should be removed for individuals to access educational institutions or programes that match their needs or educational objectives.
- A comprehensive and balanced educational system should be created for the development of each individual’s potential.
- HEIs should create an educational environment so that they can prevent dropout and stimulate further education of disadvantaged students.
- Representation of students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds should be increased through equity and inclusion.
- Comprehensive solutions should be offered to students of disadvantaged groups. Peer to peer relations and community relations should strengthen.
- Continuous training should be offered for academic and administrative staff in higher education institutions.
- HEIs should provide counselling programs for their students.
- HEIs should be offered greater autonomy for managing the needs of disadvantaged groups including the recognition of qualifications students have received abroad.
- Albanian HEIs should apply practices similar to the ones undertaken by the Utrecht University and University of Manchester. They should encourage students to discuss about their wellbeing with the adequate staff at their disposal, if necessary, develop an application and establish a helpline.
The presentations:
IDE_TAM_Albania_Day-1_3.12.24_compressed
Application of inclusive and equality practices in HE_Prof. Dr. Esmeralda Kromidha_FFL-UT_compressed