Vice-Rector Balaban Participated in the Rectors’ Forum in Rijeka

Vice-Rector for International and Interuniversity Cooperation of the University of Banja Luka Prof. Milica Balaban, PhD, took part in the 7^th Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans, held on 4 and 5 September 2023 at the University of Rijeka.

The Rectors’ Forum brings together universities from the region, and is dedicated to improving mutual cooperation and strengthening the influence of academic institutions in this part of Europe.

This year's forum gathered more than 70 participants, including rectors, vice-rectors and other representatives of a total of 29 regional universities, who during two working days emphasized the importance of promoting European policies in science and higher education, exchanging good practices and strengthening cooperation on joint projects. Topics of particular interest included the need to improve centres of excellence for technology development, research and innovation in the region, building the capacity of staff to manage science development programmes, the introduction of the European Student Card and the mobility of students, researchers and staff within the regional network and between different economic sectors in countries of the region.

As part of the Forum, through the conclusions of three working groups, the currently main challenges in higher education and research in the region were detected and a warning was given about the increasingly pronounced innovation gap between the leading and less developed countries of the European Union, especially in relation to the countries of the Western Balkans, according to the European Innovation Scoreboard 2023. At the final meeting, a Declaration was adopted, profiling the Forum as a platform that develops concepts, coordinates measures and jointly advocates European integration and regional cooperation.