The Conference was organized within WUS Austria's programme „Austrian Support to Higher Education in BiH 2008 - 2011“, financed by Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC), as one of the final activities within that three-and-a-half year intervention. The Conference marked the end of a period of 15+ years during which the Austrian Government via ADC had continually invested in BiH higher education (HE) through WUS Austria projects. Its second part was a seminar aimed at introducing a number of models of doctoral education from around the world to the BiH academic community. The agenda of the Conference can be downloaded here.

The Conference was attended by more than 170 participants, primarily representatives of teaching staff, university management and students from all 8 BiH public universities and representatives of private higher education institutions in BiH, as well as representatives of public authorities, BiH companies, international organizations and the media.

The Conference was officially opened by the Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to BiH, His Excellency Dr. Donatus Köck, Assistant Minister for Education at the Ministry of Civil Affairs BiH, Ms. Esma Hadžagić, Director of the Agency for Higher Education Development and Quality Assurance BiH, Mr. Nihad Fejzić, and the Executive Director of WUS Austria, Mr. Almir Kovačević.

Appreciating the immense ADC assistance and recognizing its effects in BiH higher education, the first part of the Conference, entitled „15+ Years of Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) Support“, was dedicated to apprising the numerous outcomes and impacts of the successful trilateral collaboration between ADC, WUS Austria and public universities in BiH. Representatives of all eight public universities in BiH addressed the Conference participants by giving their short presentations on this type of cooperation.

More information as well as available presentations can be found here.

Source: Email from Michaela Handke, WUS Austria