dubrovnik conference in higher education “addressing the ... - ERI SEE

DUBROVNIK CONFERENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION “ADDRESSING THE QUESTIONS OFINSTITUTIONAL REFORMS IN SEE COUNTRIES IN CREATING THE EUROPEAN HIGHEREDUCATION AREA“, DUBROVNIK-CROATIA, 29-31 OCTOBER 2007.- Project purpose and objectives of the ConferenceThe purpose of the Conference was to examine the challenges of Central and South Eastern Europeancountries in creating a European Higher Education area and in particular the reforms needed in theinstitutions that govern higher education.The objective of the Conference was to provide a platform for exchange of relevant experience in selected topics:• Professionalisation of public management of higher education• University legal status• Acceleration of Higher Education institutional reforms• Standardisation of the student experience across the EHEA with regard to student organisationsand representation.- Project implementationOrganisers of the ConferenceThe Conference was jointly organised by three universities: the University of Zagreb-Croatia (hostinginstitution), the University of Novi Sad-Serbia and the University of Vienna-Austria.The event was strongly supported by the following international organisations, national higher educationauthorities, govermental institutions and non governmental associations: the Council of Europe, Stability Pactfor South Eastern Europe, European University Association, UNESCO-CEPES, European Students Union,Austrian Federal Ministry of Science and Research, Irish Higher Education Authority, Turkish Council ofHigher Education, Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, Serbian Ministry of Education & theSecretariat for Education and Culture of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, the Education ReformInitiative of South Eastern Europe (ERI SEE) and SPARK-The Netherlands.ParticipantsOver 100 participants from European higher education institutions, public authorities, internationalorganisations, governmental institutions and non-governmental associations took part to the Conference.ERI SEE supported the publishing of the promotional materials and the local expenses (food, meeting room,guided tour etc.).Topics covered during the ConferenceThe Confernce took place in the Centre for Advanced Academic Studies located in Dubrovnik-Croatia.30 OctoberThe organisation of the Conference was endorsed and the participants welcomed by high officials of: theUniversity of Zagreb-Croatia, the Stability Pact of South Eastern Europe, the Council of Europe, theEuropean University Association, the Ministry of Science, Education and Sport of the Republic of Croatia,and the University of Novi Sad-Serbia.Dr. Ladislav Novak from the University of Novi Sad provided the opening address.The first morning session “Higher Education Reform as a Vehicle for Regional Cooperation: View fromInternational Organisations“ covered: the Stability Pact address on the importance of the higher educationinstitution reform as an advance guard for the regional cooperation in SEE; the presentation of the Councilof Europe on the role of the legislative changes in advancing higher education institutional reform; thepresentation of the ESU view of the higher education reform from student's perspective; the expertperception of the Bologna Process and the higher education institutional reform; the SPARK view of the

higher education institutional reform as an emergency bridge between the societies in conflict; andpresentation of the answers to the Conference questionnaire.The second morning session “Institutional Reform/Amending Higher Education Legislation: View fromNational Higher Education Authorities“ provided information on the processes in Austria, Sweden andCroatia.During the afternoon planary session “Higher Education Institutional Reform Process: View from Universities“,the activities and efforts of Poland, Lithuania and Serbia were presented.The work continued in two parallel sessions.• Session “The Higher Education System“The introductory presentations covered: the role of buffer bodies in achieving authonomy andaccountability of universities (the case of Ireland); the Turkish presentation of the foundation universitiesand the World Bank view on the challenges of higher education systems in SEE.• Session “The Integrated University“The keynote speaches on the topic addressed: the Austrian example of university authonomy; theUNESCO-CEPES presentation on the institutional governance and structures and the ESU presentationof the student organisation within an integrated university.31 OctoberThe presentations provided feedback on the work and recommendations from the two parallel sessions thattook place on 30 th October and enabled discussion on the content of the final document of the DubrovnikConference.Final Document of the Dubrovnik ConferenceThe Conference built upon the outcomes of the International Seminar on Higher Education held in Novi Sadin 28 – 30 October 2005 (the Novi Sad Initiative).The participants fully endorsed the Novi Sad conclusions adopted in 2005. Rather than restate or update theprinciples and general action lines outlined in that document, the challenge focused on identifying specificpriorities and concrete actions, and to ensure a strategy for implementation.The participants also reaffirmed the outcomes of the EUA Vienna Seminar 2006 on strengthening highereducation and research in South East Europe, in particular part 3 devoted to institutional reform anddevelopment, emphasising the need for providing incentives for higher education reform and the integrationof universities into single legal entities.The Conference identified a need for action to professionalise the public management andadministration of higher education – both within universities and also within ministries by bringing updatedknowledge of higher education topics and challenges closer to the higher education administrators in theinstitutions that govern higher education. The participating universities pledged to address this issue bycooperating in the development of regional programmes and summer schools for higher educationadministrators, also taking into account and building upon existing networks of cooperation.Since 2005, considerable progress has been made, at different speeds in the different institutions andcountries in the region. Participants welcomed this progress, but also underlined that efforts need to bestepped up if the benefits of regional cooperation are to be realised in all countries.The participants also emphasised the critical role of students in developing higher education in the region.Student participation in university governance and policy debate should be considered as an essentialelement of positive and healthy higher education development. As a practical step, the Conferencerecommended that every future national and regional inter-university meeting should ensure thatstudents are represented in delegations.There was clearly strong agreement about the importance of student involvement in European highereducation governance - although with different views about how this can best be taken forward and thereforeit may be important to focus on the role of student unions in the region/Europe in a future meeting.2

All countries in the region are becoming increasingly active and engaged in the Bologna process, but muchmore could and should be done to ensure positive development. The Conference encourages alluniversities to exploit the opportunities for institutional development and regional cooperationthrough European programmes supporting higher education. One major concern for the future is thatuniversity research capacity is weak, and conditions do not exist to develop the talent pool in the region, or toattract talented researchers from other parts of the world. While the EU Framework programmes offer somenew opportunities, the Conference also called for support to establish a Regional Research Fund particularlyaddressed at early stage researchers, and using a competitive funding model as an incentive in creation of avariety of attractive regional centres of excellence. A particular ambition should be to concentrate ondeveloping diverse university strengths in the region, along with a frame for the quality in diversity.The participants recognised that regional cooperation is only possible if greater mobility opportunities arefacilitated not only in Europe and the rest of the world, but also within the region. The Conference called ongovernments and universities in the region to take responsibility for developing and encouraging mobilityopportunities for students, researchers and professors through providing incentives for cooperation,developing joint programmes, and encouraging academic cooperation and networking.The Dubrovnik Conference was launched to address a set of issues that are crucial to the implementation ofthe European Higher Education Area, and to promote more effective regional cooperation. The FinalRecommendation calls for a strong and renewed effort to speed up the process of institutionalreforms, by rethinking the role of governments in providing incentives for higher education reform,professionalising the public management of higher education, integrating university into single legalentity and thus encouraging trust in institutions. Competent intermediary bodies may be set up forspecific tasks, such as funding, research management and quality assurance along with non-political nationalboards of trustees with responsibilities prescribed by law, having members nominated by severalstakeholders (government, universities, industry, etc). Higher Education legislation should also beamended to support such a policy approach.These issues cannot all be resolved in the next two years, and the dialogue needs to continue. This may berealised by biannual conferences to follow up the initiatives of the 2005 Novi Sad Conference and the 2007Dubrovnik Conference, to bring the process of higher education institutional reform to the attention of thepolitical and academic leadership of Europe. In order to ensure continuity and monitor the reform processbetween two biannual events consultations will be taken in the course of creation of a steering body.3