National Tempus Office in close cooperation with the Delegation of the European Union to BiH organised Tempus Info Day in BiH on 9 December 2009, at the Rectorate of the University of Sarajevo. The main purpose of the event is to promote new opportunities in Tempus/Erasmus Mundus Programmes with special emphasis on the Third Call for Proposal under the Tempus IV 2007-2013 Programme.
"Tempus is the key EU programme in the area of higher education which promotes the modernisation of higher education through cooperation projects between the European Union and partner countries. Since 1997, more than €27 million have been allocated to BiH in the framework of this Programme, with involvement of BiH universities in more than 220 projects” – stated Boris Iarochevitch, Head of Operations Section within the Delegation of the European Union to BiH in his address.
Speaking of the joint projects, structural measures and accompanying measures as three types of activities covered by the Programme, Iarochevitch stated:
“Joint projects are based on the partnership between higher education institution in the EU and the partner countries and are aimed at the exchange of the knowledge. Their main aim is to develop new curricula and enhance university governance. Structural measures cover development and reform of education institutions and state education system and they include issues such as studies and research, conferences and seminars, training courses and policy advice. Accompanying measures cover dissemination and information activities, such as thematic conferences and studies “.
He emphasized that the Tempus Project contributes to the implementation of the Bologna Process and stated that the programme covers the modernisation of the curricula, the introduction of credit system and diploma recognition, the increase of quality levels of higher education, the improvement of university infrastructure, etc. "Strong links with the European universities have been established, leading in many cases to long lasting relationships which enhances Tempus projects. I would like to ensure you that the European Union will further pay a particular attention to the higher education in our Pre-Accession Instrument IPA. The EU will continue to allocate € 2,5 million every year to Tempus in BiH”, concluded his address Iarochevitch and wished a successful Tempus Day to the participants.
The EU financial assistance to the sector of higher education in BiH was the subject of the presentation given by Maria Farrar-Hockley, Head of Section for Justice and Home Affairs, Administrative Reform and Civil Society within the Delegation of the European Union to BiH.
"Transition Assistance and Institution Building, Cross-Border Co-operation, Regional Development, Human Resources Development and Rural Development are the five IPA Programme components. Only the first two are open to potential candidate countries, including Bosnia and Herzegovina. IPA programme focal areas are political requirements such as rule of law, human rights and rights of minorities, media, public administration reform, judiciary reform, police reform; socio-economic requirements, such as economic and fiscal policies, trade policy, corporate governance, labour market, education and health, but also European standards: internal market, industrial policy, regional development, agriculture and food safety, environment." – stated je Farrar-Hockley.
“The priorities for support to the reform of higher education under the IPA 2009-2011 programme will be economic preconditions: promotion of the education reform will advance to promotion of the economy and society development”- stated Farrar-Hockley, and reminded of the importance of the 2008 European Partnership. It includes the implementation of the State-level laws on higher education, resolving the fragmentation of the educational system and the overlap of functions between different levels of organisation, prevention of segregation of children along the ethnic lines at school and design of an integrated research policy".
Speaking of the EC Progress Report 2009 on BiH, Farrar-Hockley stated that little progress was made in the area of education. “Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to continue its efforts in full implementation of the Framework Laws on higher education, in establishing a National Qualification Framework and developing quality assurance, in addressing the issue of education meeting the needs of the labour market, and developing the lifelong learning concept.
Suad Muhibić, Head of National Tempus Office in BiH, Prof Dr Hazim Bašić, Vice Rector of the University of Sarajevo and Piia Heinamaki, representative of the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency with headquarters in Brussels, also addressed the participants of the Tempus Info Day.
