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Charles University, Pedagogická fakulta UK (Faculty of Education) was a host of the HERE Annual Conference, with the aim of showing HERE Activity Report 2018 and presenting of activity results from 2019, to understand better the design and implementation of the social inclusion policies and practices at the University level and to share the best practicies that promote inclusive approaches and schemes of the international mobility of diverse students.
The conference drew 95 participants – academics, administrators and policy makers. Of these, 73 came from 24 partner countries. Seven EU Member States were represented, five ministries representatives attended, incuding one member of Parliament, from HERE countries. Twenty NEO attended, as well representatives from the Czech National Agency. On the side of the European Commission, both DG EAC and DG employment attended, as well colleagues from the EACEA who manage the SPHERE action
The 2019 HERE Annual Conference had the dual purpose of: a) Addressing the umbrella topic of social inclusion, around which SPHERE events for 2019 were structured, and framing the lessons learned from these different activities; b) Introducing the new umbrella topic for 2020, “Higher education responding to changing skills needs.” and giving HERE a voice in the programming of activities for 2020. Exploring this topics was essentially to prime current, pressing policy issues in Partner countries, as a means to prepare a more needs-relevant SPHERE programme for 2020.
There are several conclusions that can be drawn from Conference „From social inclusion to skills: Pressing themes in higher education policy making“:
Conference was interactive and it engaged different staff members and students from the institution and also provided various national perspectives. Despite the fact that higher education participation numbers have been increasing in the European Union and in partner countries, the questions and challenges of social inclusion are still very present. In addition, the conference allowed important initiatives to be show-cased and promoted (the inclusion and ICM study) and for the European Commission to share important information regarding the future of the Erasmus+ programme, which frames the HERE activities.
HERE Annual conference „From social inclusion to skills: Pressing themes in higher education policy making“ helped us to understand better the concept of social inclusion, the process of defining and implementing university strategies for social inclusion and the national policy that shapes it in the higher education, and about forthcoming Erasmus+ program. We find HERE Annual conference „From social inclusion to skills: Pressing themes in higher education policy making“ very useful in our efforts to improve educational systems in Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly to improve issues regarding social inclusion, by sharing and discussing views, ideas and experiences of policy-makers from the Study visit with policy-makers at our universities.
More information about this HERE Annual Conference:
https://supporthere.org/prague2019/page/documents-11
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The workshop was organized by the National Erasmus+ Office in collaboration with the Sarajevo University and it geathered participants from competent educational ministries, higher education istitutions and educational agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The aim of the Workshop was twofold: to give an overview of achievements of higher education in Europe in the context of the Bologna Process, challenges we face as well as presentation of future trends in this Process; to present impact of the Bologna Process on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s HE and current state of Play concerning priorities of higher education in the country for the period 2016-2026 as well as future plans in higher education.
Presenters at the Worksop were Michael Gaebel, EU expert and Director of EUA Department for Higher Education Policy and Aida Durić, Head of Department for European Integration and International Affairs at the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina and member of HERE Team of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Michael Gaebel delivered presentations on the two topics:
The main discussion was led in answering the question on weather Bologna has achieved its goals?
One of the main conlusions were that the progress has been made while implementation remains uneven,both between policy areas and between countries. Furthermore, the necessity to continue to work on Paris Communique 3 Key commitments was uderlined ie:
- Recogntion – Lisbon Recognition Convention
- 3 study cycles/ qualification frameworks
- Quality Assurance – Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area” (ESG)
Growing awareness for social inclusion was pointed out as a board and complex issue.
It is constated that generally, societal issues gain importance in the EHEA and that some profiles (economically, disadvantaged, disabled, gender etc.) need attention in all systems. In addition, there are specific groups with specific challenges such as minorities, migrants. It was stressed how data is important, to raise awareness, and identify challenges, inform policy and enable enhancement measures.
- Regarding Policies and concrete measures the following were identified:
- wide range of options
- some outside of HE (schools)
- not only emphasis funding
- information and support
- consider not only access, but also retention, full participation in academic activities, and transition into work or further study
- Involve the different actors: higher education institutions and their members have an important role to play.
Aida Durić delivered presentatios on the two topics:
Within the first topic focus was put on HE Reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina in a nutshell since Bosnia and Herzegovina's accession to Bologna Process in 2003. More precisely, the impact of accession on legal, institutional and human resorces set up.
Futhermore, obligations and repercusions delivering form various adopted international documents, processes and initiatives, as well as memberships that Bosnia and Herzegovian is part of were presented.
It was also highleted the importance and enourmous support to implementation of Bologna goals, througout years, through different EC Projects implementation as a tool for implementation of the Bologna goals.
Many of the projects resulted in strategic documents that were produced in cooperation by all relevant higher education autorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Conclusions:
- Since its accession to Bologna Process HE in Bosnia and Herzegovina has changed significantly in terms of legislative, institutional and capacity set up;
- All precondition for full integration into EHEA have been fulfilled;
Current State of play in Higher Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina was presented in the light of EU Bosnia and Hezegovina 2018 Report as well as through 13 indicators of the Bologna Process – The European Higher Education Area in 2018 Implementation Report.
Concerning plan for future development of HE in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the overall objective is full integration into European Higher Education Area.
Document „Priorities of higher education development in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the period 2016-2020“sets up 7 priorities to be fulfilled that are in full compliance with EHEA HE goals. This document is result of common work between academic community and all competent HE authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Furthermore, obligations deriving from different initiatives, processes and memberships at Regional and European level were presented and the importance of following of this path for the following decade was stressed out.
However, it was underlined that our societies are facing new and unmapped challenges, to which education need to respond bearing also in mind accomplishment of SDG 4 2030 goals.
Conclusions:
- Further implementation of the Bologna goals (Scorecard)
- Full implementation of LRC
- Full implementation of the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG )
- Development of study programs based on learning outcomes and related training of academic staff,
- Further development of NQF
- Identification and accomplishment of SDG 4
BiH priorities 2016-2026 Good Governance and Management , Resources, Connection Between Labour Market And Higher Education (QF Development), Qualification Standard (Development of Curricula), Student Experience , Internationalization, Statistics
All presentations are available at Erasmus ' Office web page.
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The Technical University of Moldova, the Republic of Moldova, was a host of the HERE Seminar concerning recognition. Higher Education Reform Experts and National Erasmus+ Offices of EU partner countries, as well as different international and national institution and higher education institution, attended the Seminar.
The seminar focuses on recognition – specifically, an implication for cross-border higher education and mobility. The main reason for the organization of this Seminar was the fact that this topic is critically important because without understanding the mechanisms of recognition, no international mobility strategies can be considered realistic at a systematic or institutional level. Transparent and fair recognition procedures have become an inevitable part of educational policies in Europe. Moreover, since the 2015 Yerevan Ministerial Conference and adopted the revised ESG standards, recognition has become an important part of the accreditation process at a higher education institution, making the recognition as a part of education policies. The main conclusions from the Seminar would be:
- Not all countries (regions) use principles already stipulated by the Lisbon Recognition Convention and other regional conventions so that different levels of progress concerning recognition matters can be a barrier for fruitful discussion between attendees.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina is a step forward compared with other countries, especially related to the recognition of formal qualifications. Although through STINT project in Bosnia and Herzegovina, within academic recognition, recognition of non-formal education and informal learning have been stipulated, additional training and workshops are needed for full implementation of prior learning.
- Moreover, recognition of different knowledge concerning access to the labor market should be also one of the activities for the upcoming period. Example of Kazakhstan can be used for development of our own procedures in BiH.
- The recognition of professional qualifications, it is evident that almost all countries have struggled because of a very complex matter. This means, for implementation of the Decision on Adoption of the Road Map for Implementation of the EU Directive on Regulated Professions 2005/36/EC and 2013/55/EU (Official Gazette of BiH, No. 10/16), additional projects and inclusion of all stakeholders are demanding because without the synergy of key institutions as well as cooperation with other stakeholders implementation is a very hard job, almost an impossible task.
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Italy 12-13, December 2018
Over 100 experts from 25 partner countries, as well as EACEA and EUA officers and EU officials attended the conference. Representatives of BiH HERE Team at the conference were Aleksandra Nikolic, Vice Rector at Sarajevo University, Zlatan Buljko, Ministry of Education and Science of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Aida Duric, Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Suad Muhibić, NEO Office.
The two-day 2018 HERE Conference was focused in particular on the regional, bi-lateral and bi-regional policy frameworks that shape and enable higher education reforms, exchanges and collaboration, which also contribute more broadly so social and economic development and have an important political and diplomatic function.
In the first panel: Capacity building from the perspective from EU and HERE countries included, Aida Durić Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina had short speach in which was outlined that capacity building projects are crucial for implementation of „BiH Higher Education Development Priorities 2016- 2026“. The audience was informed that Bosnia and Herzegovina and its HE institutions have mostly participated in capacity building initiatives as a partner institution and only in few projects as a coordinating institution. Bosnia and Herzegovina's HEIs have been involved in 30 CBHE projects since 2015 (the beginning of the CBHE projects implementation). Most of the CBHE projects are in the category of the Joint Projects, mostly focused at curriculum development,while there is only few structural project focused on improvement of institutional framework which support modernisation and development of HEI.
As a part of final regional breakout groups the issue of social inclusion, or better to say social dimension of HEI aroused great interest and sparked a lively discussion. Western Balkans Group was chaired by Aleksandra Nikolić, Vice Rector, University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina/HERE BiH Team member.
It was outlined that HEIs are focused on providing physical infrastructure to support student population with special needs. All activities are usually focused on access not taking in account participation and success. So social inclusion policies at HEI level are on low level of sophistication and they are not requested/recognised by decision makers or wither public. In addition a bit question is how to identify & map under-represented groups and how to provide data to implement policy and to monitor impact. There is no over-arching strategy to provide access and to support participation and success of underrepresented groups (economic, cultural, social background, migrants, rare illness, and physical handicaps) and groups with specific needs (working students, with child responsabilities/care etc)
In addition, such initiatives are mostly supported by international funding and support, not by national governments. At government level there is no real commitment to support HEIs to be more sensitive and inclusive to organize different activities to focus different needs of different society groups (especially those marginalized). In addition, there is no real discussion within the HEIs regarding this issue. This issue is not recognized as hot one – modernization and internationalization, protection of autonomy and reaching excellence are the focus of internal HEIs policies, priorities and every-day activities. The group focused on Croatian experience on how to identify and map under-represented groups. Albanian colleagues also shared their experience.
Finally, the group agreed that this area is underdeveloped and underrepresented within HEIs policies. Reasons for that are different, but main are lack of understanding, lack of legislative and institutional framework and commitment, lack of sustainable mechanism to support some solution. In the same time, the group agreed that this issue is very important and has to be focused more. Therefore, we agreed to support initiative to “up-grade” Albanian national TAM about Social inclusiveness to the regional one.
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This HERE study visit was organized by SPHERE team in a cooperation with University of Coimbra (UC) and it followed up a HERE seminar that was held in Novi Sad, Serbia in 2016 on joint degree development. Resources from the seminar was revisited during this study visit.
The aim of this study visit was to offer HEREs and other participants to discuss and understand the overarching strategic planning of the UC and the role played by the internationalisation of education, as well as to learn about different joint degree models via the example of UC. The University of Coimbra was chosen for the study visit, given it's specific experience in joint degrees and joint programms developed.
After two days of presenting experiences in joint degrees and joint programms of the University of Coimbra, as well as other participants present, the main conlusions and recommendations are:
- The development of joint degrees and programs contributes to the several aspects of internationalization strategic actions and improves all academic procedures. The University of Coimbra can be a real example of such an attitude;
- The lack of national legislation concerning joint degrees is one of the main obstacles in the implementation, especially related to the quality of all process of implementation. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there is not legislation provisions which stipulate a development and implementation of joint degrees and programs so that competent educational authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina have to start with legislation amendments immediately;
- An additional obstacle is the administrative issues of implementation at higher education institutions because of the lack of administrative officers in joint degrees and programs;
- Because of legislative obstacles, higher education institutions are advised to issue dual or multiple degrees;
- Because of the complexity of implementation of the joint degrees, higher education institutions are advised to introduce master joint programs in the first few years and after that to start with an introduction of bachelor joint programs.
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