EUTOPIA engaged in the 9th Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and Western Balkans 11 to 12 September

Mattia Bellotti, Secretary-General of EUTOPIA, attended the 9th Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and Western Balkans, held from 11-12 September 2024 at the University St. Kliment Ohridski in Bitola, North Macedonia. The event brought together over 50 representatives from across the region.

Hosted at the Faculty of Technical Sciences, the forum opened with a plenary session on the role of European university alliances, moderated by Prof. Snježana Prijić-Samaržija, President of the Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and Western Balkans. It was followed by a roundtable discussion exploring the future of alliances in higher education. Mattia Bellotti contributed to the panel, which included Prof. Joseph Garrell, President of the European University Association, Prof. Torsten Meier of the COLOURS Alliance, and Maria-Valerie Schegk, Secretary-General of the YUFE Alliance. The roundtable raised the question of the European universities Alliances’ future status: legal entities, federations, or simple associations, never merging? The speakers also explored the challenges of funding these type of consortia, discussing the impact of transnational education on students and institutions. Bellotti highlighted that innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability should always remain critical priorities.
 

The forum later transitioned into matchmaking sessions, during which participants discussed collaboration through initiatives like the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) programme. Prof. Ivan Svetlik (University of Ljubljana) led the session encouraging cross-border research projects. The first day concluded with a General Assembly of the Rectors’ Forum and a promotional visit to the COLOURS European University Alliance Co-Space.

The second day of the forum shifted its focus to the core values upheld by universities, with a keynote by Prof. Rifat Škrijelj, Rector of the University of Sarajevo, on the integrity of academic institutions. EUTOPIA’s engagement resumed as Prof. Nataša Poklar Ulrih, EUTOPIA’s Institutional Coordinator at the University of Ljubljana, joined a “The Values of Universities” roundtable. This session brought together figures like Dr. Mirjana Nikolić, Rector of the University of Arts in Belgrade, and Prof. Bernard Dosti, Vice-Rector of the University of Tirana, to reflect on how academic institutions can remain pillars of inclusivity and social progress.
 

For further information on EUTOPIA’s engagement in the Western Balkans, visit our website.

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