Despite the advances in modernization and capacity building of the research landscapes of the Western Balkans Countries’ universities, management of the human resources in research and science is still lagging behind the level of the practices and standards of the EU universities. The national funding of science in the WB countries is far below the ERA Lisbon targets, and it is project-oriented while the building of the universities’ capacities to effectively and efficiently deal with the non-scientific challenges is not sufficiently addressed by the national policies. Thus, the national funding for human resources development is very low in most of the cases. Individual universities are dealing with these challenges by participating in far more competitive European funding programmes, such as Horizon 2020 (especially Marie Sklodowska Curie actions), Erasmus+ and earlier, FP7.

Concrete activities of the project hinge on the key elements and priorities identified in the Action Plan for the Strategy for the Development of Science and Technology. Although this Strategy was formulated in Serbia, it gives voice to the researchers in the WBC region generally, targeting weak points which bother all of us. Its key-action 3.1 ‘Development of human research potential and promotion of science’ is directly related to the objective of the project Enhancement of HE Research Potential Contributing to Further Growth of the WBC Region (Re@WBC). Many of its goals coincide with the goals of the Project:

1. enhancing of human research potential and development of human resources;
2. improving conditions for development of research and professional careers;
3. developing support services for young and talented researchers;
4. brain-gain through active participation in research activities;
5. harmonisation of research space;
6. regional cooperation through participation in the creation of the WBC regional science strategy;
7. encouraging mobility.

Further, Action Plan for the Strategy of Higher Education also lists a number of key-actions reflecting the goals of Re@WBC:

1. improvement of promotion criteria and procedures for researchers;

• development of support services for researchers;
• reinforcement of the research component of HE;
• enhancing of the innovative potential;
• increasing international openness of HE system;
• establishing international mobility of teachers, students and researchers;
• enhancing research capacities and excellence in research.

All of these actions are integrated into the Workplan of Re@WBC grouped under  different workpackages. In synergy with the principles of the EU strategy for researchers, these and other original activities aim at reaching the point where all partner universities have endorsed the principles of EU strategies for researchers and their employers; university bylaws relevant for HR offices and services have been adopted and implemented; researchers have been better qualified for professional development  and regional cooperation.

Source: Re@WBC