Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics, will be in Belgrade tomorrow to open the annual ministerial meeting of the Western Balkans Platform on Education and Training. All Ministers of Education from the region are invited to review the state of educational reforms in their countries, learn about the latest strategies in the EU, identify priorities, agree on follow-ups to studies and reports and discuss deeper cooperation. This year, the meeting will focus on the region’s research capacity and mobility opportunities.
Commissioner Navracsics, Minister Šarčević and Head of EU Delegation to Serbia Ambassador Sem Fabrizi will together take part in a panel debate on the impact of Erasmus+ with alumni who have benefitted from the programme in recent years.
Commissioner Navracsics said: “Since its launch in 2012, the Western Balkans Ministerial Platform has become a valuable tradition. It provides a unique opportunity to exchange views on the situation of education systems in the region, their main priorities and challenges. As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Erasmus programme, I would highlight that Erasmus+ now has 33 programme countries and enables cooperation with hundreds of other countries in the world, including all those from the Western Balkans.”
The longer term perspective of the Platform is to assist the Western Balkans with their reform efforts and prepare them for EU Membership responsibilities including full participation in the EU’s education programmes. With research being one of this year’s two priorities, the Western Balkans Steering Platform on Research and Innovation is being held in Belgrade at the same time.
Background information:
Western Balkans Platform on Education and Training
The European Commission organises the Western Balkans Platform on Education and Training on an annual basis since 2012. The Platform gathers all Ministers of Education in the region, who are invited to review the state of educational reforms in their countries, learn about the latest strategies in the EU, identify priorities, agree on a follow-up to be given to studies/reports as well as to cooperate on activities undertaken by the Platform. The main objective of the Platform is to share experience, good practice and engage in regional cooperation on tackling similar issues.
For more information on the Western Balkans Platform on Education and Training, please see: http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/international-cooperation/western-balkans_en
Western Balkans Platform on Science and Research
Under the auspices of the European Commission, the Western Balkans Platform on Science and Research also meets annually since 2007, with the overall objective to advance the integration of the Western Balkans into the European Research Area until EU accession. The Platform discusses the research and innovation capacities in the Western Balkans, participation in the EU’s programmes for research and innovation, monitors the progress of regional strategies and actions and helps in exchanging information and best practice.
Erasmus+
Erasmus+ is a European Union programme providing support to cooperation projects in the fields of education and training, youth and sport, in which Serbia also participates successfully. Since 2014, Serbian higher education institutions have been granted nearly 27 million euros for projects within the programme, which is more than any other country in the Western Balkan region. In addition, over 5000 professors and students from higher education institutions in Serbia went to short term exchange programmes to universities all over Europe and beyond.
