Platform; ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 9 People & Skills
The Education Reform Initiative of South Eastern Europe (ERI SEE) is a regional organisation enhancing and facilitating regional cooperation in the area of education and training. It is mandated by the ministries in charge of education from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Republic of Moldova.
Objectives: Regional cooperation in the areas of:
- Modernisation of vocational education and training (VET), enhancing cooperation with the business sector and contributing to the quality and efficiency of education and training systems, including a focus on green skills and renewable energy
- Cooperation in the higher education system, contributing to the facilitation of recognition of qualifications and enhancements of quality assurance mechanisms
- Cooperation in the area of pre-tertiary education, contributing to greater quality of external evaluation and digitalisation of teaching and teacher education and training
Need and (expected) impact: The lack of labour-market relevance of VET is targeted by enhancing cooperation between the education and business sectors and through the development of regionally-based occupational and qualification standards, leading to greater employability and mobility opportunities for young people, as well as contributing to the green transition.
Obstacles in the recognition of higher education qualifications are targeted by enhancing cooperation between centres in charge of the recognition of qualifications, leading to a faster recognition process, and facilitating the employability and continuation of education across the region.
The quality of pre-tertiary education is enhanced by developing regional standards for external evaluators’ competencies, peer learning and training.
Macro-regional dimension: The processes include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo*, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, of which Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Republic of Moldova and Serbia are Danube Region countries.
Stakeholders involved:
- Ministries of education
- Agencies for vocational education and training
- Qualification agencies
- Teacher training agencies
- Agencies for quality assurance in pre-tertiary education
- Agencies for quality assurance in tertiary education
- Chambers of commerce
- International organisations
Budget and Funding: Member countries (ministries of education), OeAD – Austria’s Agency for Education and Internationalisation, Austrian Development Agency, GIZ – German Agency for International Development.
Further information: www.erisee.org
Contact: Ms Tina Šarić, Director, ERI SEE Secretariat,
* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.
