“The EU fully supports initiatives that encourage the spirit of reconciliation and cooperation among young people in the region,” said Mr Emanuele Giaufret, the EU Ambassador to the Republic of Serbia. He emphasised that 2022 is the European Year of Youth and mentioned numerous programs that empower and support young people. “The Western Balkans region will progress through joint action to promote tolerance, solidarity, mobility and cooperation. Dialogue and cooperation among schools will create an inspiring environment and a platform for giving voices to young people to nurture democratic practices and contribute to building sustainable and inclusive development,” said the EU Ambassador to Serbia, Mr Emanuele Giaufret, on the occasion of presenting 18 schools from Serbia which will participate in the project Superschools, organised by the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO).
Emphasising that he is proud that the European Union has supported the regional program, Ambassador Giaufret expressed his belief that the Superschools will promote the spirit of reconciliation and the process in which young people will participate in the present and the future, which are also in the focus of the EU policy.
Opening the event with congratulations to the selected high schools for the Superschools program, Minister Branko Ružić pointed out that the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development has supported this program from the beginning, and that it is essential how much the Serbian Government gives importance to and supports regional cooperation. On this occasion, he also thanked the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany and the EU Delegation, without whose support the realisation of this project would not be possible. “Immediate communication will lead to reconciliation and development of the region. The future belongs to the young and they should not be limited by what had happened in the past, but find a common denominator of the future. We need to focus on the things that unite us, ” Minister Ružić added.
“We expect a lot from RYCO as an organisation to motivate young people in the cross-sectoral cooperation and generational cooperation that will impose a different message in the region. We expect that by gaining knowledge and skills, young people will play a leading role,” said Mr Vanja Udovičić, Minister of Youth and Sports, and thanked the European Union and the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany for their support as well as the schools for participating in this program, which will be the basis for a better future and regional cooperation.
Congratulating all schools whose project ideas were supported, German Ambassador, Mr Thomas Schieb said that “RYCO is here to deal with the process of reconciliation and its promotion, that the Superschools program is a reflection of these aspirations, that cooperation among young people and the encouragement of dialogue must be on the long-term level as well as the support for these processes.”
Ivana Antonijević, Director of the RYCO Local Branch Office in Serbia, expressed her gratitude to the ministries for their continuous support, as well as to the EU Delegation and the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Serbia. “RYCO has so far supported 110 projects and 25,000 young people who have participated in our programs. However, what is not invisible and we are proud of are the changes that happen to young people when they participate in exchange programs, during which they have the opportunity to change their minds. These exchanges are opportunities for the development of young people from the schools that have been selected to participate in this program,” Antonijević concluded.
Superschools is a school exchange program in the Western Balkans that aims to support the processes of peace building, reconciliation and intercultural learning and dialogue among schools, students and their communities. The program lasts 3 years and is part of the multi-donor project Western Balkans School Exchange Scheme, which is jointly funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and RYCO. The total budget of the project is 5.5 million euros, and by establishing a regional school exchange program, the project contributes to the overall goal of improving the skills and knowledge of young people in the Western Balkans through improving educational systems and cooperation in the region.
During the first open call of the Superschools program, 127 exchange proposals were received, while more than 412 schools from the Western Balkans used the online platform to connect with other schools. The 30 best projects aim to support peacebuilding and reconciliation processes, as well as intercultural learning and dialogue among schools, students and their communities.
The European Union, as the largest donor in Serbia, supports the modernisation of the education system and its harmonisation with the standards and practices of EU countries. Since 2003, the European Union has donated more than 100 million euros for the reform of the education sector – for the improvement of preschool education, reform of secondary vocational education, adult education, renovation and equipment of schools and colleges, support for inclusive education etc. The support of the European Union is implemented in cooperation with the Government of Serbia.
