The official launch of the project “Support to Reform of Higher Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, with the objective to advance the reform of the higher education system in order to be able to respond to the needs of the labour market, to combat the unemployment and to support the development of the economy and society, took place on 16 December at the premises of the Rectorate of the University of Sarajevo.
The European Union provided 1,1 million EUR for this Project which is expected to last for 2 years. The project is implemented by an international consortium led by GOPA Consultants – Germany.
“The European Union is, through the Instrument for Pre-Accession, intensively focusing on reform of higher education in this country for many reasons.” – stated Maria Farrar-Hockley, Head of Operations Section for Justice and Home Affairs, Administrative Reform and Civil Society within the European Union Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, in her opening address.
“Firstly, we strongly believe in investment in human capital as the progress of a country can be accepted only if there is a critical mass of well educated people to lead it in the direction of modernisation, successful reforms and economic development. Secondly, highly educated people are the most valuable resources of small countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina. Thirdly, there are statistical data encouraging us to do something urgently in this field: the percentage of highly educated people in BiH is less than 7%, young people enrolling in higher education is 17% , the average duration of studies is 7 years and there is big drop out rate of students in all universities.” stated Farrar-Hockley.
She stated that although the results of the implementation of the Bologna process in Bosnia and Herzegovina were modest, there were many positive developments at the individual level, but there are no harmonised and coherent efforts by all of the universities to jointly define and address common priorities. Which are the challenges that BiH is facing in the area of education that are supported by the EU programmes?
“The Institutional development of the two state level agencies for higher education: the Agency for Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education and the Agency for Accreditation and Development of Higher Education. This process is supported by the joint European Union/Council of Europe project “Strengthening of higher education in BiH III (SHE III)” and through this project “Support to the Reform of Higher Education in BiH” which officially starts today. Institutional development of all public universities in BiH is going to be supported through the new project launched today. Further development of National Qualifications Framework for Higher education; development and implementation of quality assurance standards for external assessment of universities which should contribute to more successful implementation of Bologna process is supported through SHE III. The reform of financing of higher education will be supported though a new project which will complement all of these previously mentioned activities.”- stated Farrar-Hockley.
She informed the participants that there is an allocation of 2,4 million Euro for BiH for Tempus and Erasmus Mundus from IPA and that Life-long learning is going to be supported under IPA 2009 funds through two projects worth 2 million Euro: technical assistance to strategic development and reform of adult education and a grant scheme for direct support to programs of adult education.
Paul Rinderu, Team Leader of the Project, spoke of the objectives and expected results. He mentioned two key components: – recognition of diplomas, and – university management As a part of the first component, the objective of the Project is to increase academic mobility within BiH and abroad and the mobility of the labour force within the European Labour market through diploma recognition according to the Lisbon Recognition Convention
The second component of the Project will include institutional development of BiH universities in order to increase the cost effectiveness of their administrative and management operations by introducing a model of integrated university. . Hazim Pašić, Vice Rector of the University of Sarajevo, Esma Hadžagić, Assistant Minister of Civil Affairs of BiH, Vlado Majstorović, President of the Rectors Conference and representatives of entities ministries of education spoke of the progress but also of the challenges faced by BiH in the area of education. Presentation on coordination and cooperation in the area of higher education were given by the Council of Europe experts for higher education.
