On 28 September, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics, opened the Ministerial together with the Serbian Minister of Education and the Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia. The opening of the event was dedicated to the 30 years of the Erasmus programme, with a panel debate on the impact of Erasmus+ between Commissioner Navracsics and alumni from the region who have benefitted from the programme and its predecessors.

The two-day event then focused on two themes:

• increasing research capacity in the region
• enhancing mobility opportunities

The Ministers discussed the state of reforms in their countries, identified new priorities for regional cooperation and worked towards deeper cooperation. The debate highlighted the need to increase the overall quality of education and research in the region by making full use of the existing opportunities under Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020.

A detailed report and conclusions of the meeting will be published in the coming days. 

The agenda of the meeting and the list of participants are also available.

Presentations

Session 2

Presentation of the Western Balkans Alumni Association, Klaudja Koci and Stefan Ubiparipović 

Session 3

Research Capacity in the Western Balkans, Lisa Cowey, Higher Education Reform Expert 

Session 4

Inter-Regional Mobility, Overview of Existing Opportunities & Way Forward, Albert Sesé, DG Education, Youth, Sport and Culture

Progress Reports - 2017 update

At the outset of the Western Balkans Platform on Education and Training, the Ministers of Education from the Western Balkans identified two main priorities:

• teacher training
• higher education

This year again, the countries were asked to update their yearly reports, providing valuable information on the reform efforts undertaken in both areas. The input provided shows the progress in the implementation of these reforms and helps the European Commission coordinate its EU assistance, so that these efforts are properly supported.

Progress reports on higher education reform:

• Albania
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Kosovo*
• Montenegro
• Serbia
• The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

Progress reports on teacher training:

• Albania
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Kosovo*
• Montenegro
• Serbia
• The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

Ministerial meetings from previous years:

• 1st Ministerial meeting in Danilovgrad, 07 March 2012
• 2nd Ministerial meeting in Turin, 07 May 2013
• 3rd Ministerial meeting in Brussels, 19-20 June 2014
• 4th Ministerial meeting  in Vlora, 02-03 July 2015
• 5th Ministerial meeting  in Sarajevo, 27-28 June 2016

Source and more information: Western Balkans Platform on Education and Training