The European Union has been actively supporting the system of recognition of foreign higher education qualifications and ensuring the easier participation of diploma holders in the labour market in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Twinning project, officially finalised today in Mostar, has contributed to better understanding of new procedures to increase the mobility of academic staff and students, and the entire workforce.
“For BiH, this project is very important since it not only strengthened the higher education system in BiH but also gave an additional impetus to boost economic and social development. The EU ensured more than 600,000 euros to enable people who have studied abroad to have their diplomas recognised in BiH and find a job in the country. The European Union is involved and works closely with BiH authorities on improvements to the education sector. In the future we are going to help with an additional 10 million euros with a special emphasis on vocational training,” stated Gianluca Vannini, Head of Operations Section for Social Development, Civil Society and Cross Border Cooperation of the Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
By aligning regulations in the field of recognition of foreign higher education qualifications with European standards, Bosnia and Herzegovina is preparing for easier integration into the European Union and recognition in the European Higher Education Area.
“We have been closely cooperating with EU Member States. Through the project we have conducted an analysis of the higher education qualification process in Bosnia and Herzegovina and our recommendation is that procedures should be harmonised on the level of the country and we have made recommendations for such implementation. We should work on raising the standards and quality of education, which is crucial, beyond the results of this project,” said Damir Ljubić, Director of the Centre for Information and Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education in BiH.
The project has achieved numerous important milestones in the improvement of the current system in line with EU standards, which include changes to the regulations of the Law on Recognition of Foreign Educational Qualifications of West Herzegovina Canton and the Rulebook on Recognition of Foreign Educational Qualifications of Zenica-Doboj Canton. As part of its activities, the project strengthened the capacity of relevant institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and created and piloted an External Database to facilitate statistical surveys on recognitions in BiH.
This EU funded twinning project, was implemented by the Center for Information and Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education in BiH, with the support of a consortium of three EU Member States (Croatia, as project leader, France and Latvia as co-leaders). Through numerous activities, these EU Member States have shared experiences and good practices in the field of recognition of foreign higher education qualifications from the European Higher Education Area to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and have emphasised the importance of harmonising legislation in the field of recognition of foreign higher education qualifications with the provisions of the Lisbon Recognition Convention.
