BOLOGNA PROCESS - MOBILITY IN BIH Branko Vučijak & Faruk Omanović

1. BOLOGNA PROCESS - MOBILITY IN BIHBranko Vučijak & Faruk Omanović

2. Bologna process • 45 countries (Montenegro 46?) • European Higher Education Area by 2010 • Aims not to harmonize national systems but to provide tools to connect them • To facilitate recognition of degrees, mobility, and exchanges between institutions • TO BE COMPETETIVE WITH US AND JAPAN HE

3. Main Characteristics • Three Degree Cycle (relation to existing?) • The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) • The Diploma Supplement • Recognition • Joint Degrees • Quality Assurance etc.

4. MOBILITY AS A GOAL Three Degree Cycle • Cycles enabling higher mobility (during and/or after cycles) • Ph.D. – 10 principles, one is Increasing mobility (should seek to offer geographical as well as interdisciplinary and intersectoral mobility and international collaboration within an integrated framework of cooperation between universities and other partners)

5. MOBILITY AS A GOAL ECTS • Validating a range of learning achievements • Makes study programs easy to read and compare for all students, local and foreign • Therefore facilitates mobility and academic recognition • ECTS helps universities to organise and revise their study programs • ECTS makes European higher education more attractive for students from other continents

6. MOBILITY AS A GOAL The Diploma Supplement • Describes the degree’s qualification in an easily understandable way • A diploma that is more readable and easily comparable abroad • An easier access to opportunities of work or further studies abroad • It aids mobility, access and lifelong learning

7. MOBILITY AS A GOAL Recognition • Essential to allow students to study at different institutions in different countries • Overcoming legal recognition and administrative obstacles is one of the ten objectives of the reform process and a vital element in promoting mobility

8. MOBILITY AS A GOAL Joint Degrees • Degree programs involving periods of study at multiple institutions • Innovative examples of inter-university cooperation • Pillars of future European higher education development • Joint development of curricula between higher education institutions in different countries and the award of joint degrees contribute to academic and professional mobility and to the creation of EHEA

9. PRESENT MOBILITY OF STUDENTS IN(TO) BiH

10. Questions to respond to: Three Degree Cycle • First cycle implemented at some faculties – language of lectures? • What are employment options (3+2)? • Mobility to other faculties? Within the cycle or for next cycle? Ph.D. drafted?

11. Questions to respond to: ECTS • Faculties approving credits from incoming students? Procedure? • Subjects/credits can be selected? Percentage of those at 3+2? On another faculty? Or University? Or by accredited provider?

12. Questions to respond to: The Diploma Supplement • First cycle diploma and its supplement – experiences? • Lifelong learning – courses organized by faculties for graduated students? By other accredited institutions? Economy requests?

13. Questions to respond to: Recognition • Practical experiences? (see researchers’ mobility later)

14. Questions to respond to: Joint Degrees • Any joint degree planned so far by different faculties/universities (that include those from BiH? Cooperation experiences?

15. PRESENT MOBILITY OF RESEARCHERS TO BiH

16. Foreign Researchers in B&H (ERA?) • Many obstacles prevent foreign researchers from working in Bosnia: difficulties to obtain residence permits, work permits, getting foreign academic degrees recognised... • Almost impossible to bring someone from abroad to work on a project for one year;

17. Legal Requirements • In B&H, each entity/district has its own law related to employment of foreign nationals: • FB&H: “Law on Employment of Foreign Nationals”; • RS: “Law on Employment of Foreign Nationals and Persons without Citizenship”; • Brčko District: “Law on Employment of Foreign Nationals”;

18. Legal Requirements All three laws state that: • A foreign national can sign a contract with an employer in B&H, only if he/she has a work permit; • The work permit shall be issued only if the foreign national has a temporary or permanent resident permit and under the condition that no citizen of B&H with qualifications required by the employer is registered on the list of Employment Agency;

19. Legal Requirements • Work permits are issued on a determined period of time, usually one year, with possibility of extension; • Exceptionally, for foreign nationals with permanent resident permit, the permanent work permit may be issued

20. Recognition of Academic Degrees • One of the preconditions to get work permit, is recognition of academic degree as an equivalent to the local one; • No state level Agency yet, the requests for recognition of foreign academic degrees are sometimes rejected;

21. Recognition of Academic Degrees • According to the Law, the procedure for recognition of one diploma should not take longer than 60 days; • In practice, this procedure takes much longer since there are no penalty provisions if the procedure is not implemented in the determined period of time; • This procedure takes approximately one year in many cases, but main constraint is that equivalent faculty should be in charge of recognition and often there is no such (i.e. Environmental management);

22. Scientific-Research Institutions in B&H • Universities/faculties; • Public Research Institutes; • Private Research Companies; • Other; Around 150 scientific-research institutions in BiH;

23. SR Institutions According to Type

24. Division of SR Institutions According to Research Area

25. Employment Optionsat SR Institutions in B&H • Very few vacancies offered; • Rarely defined exchange programs for researchers, or for students at universities /faculties; • Links to different schools and universities that offer scholarships for undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees;

26. International Cooperation • Almost all universities have some type of International Relations Office, which is in charge of arranging cooperation with other scientific institutions; • Most of the work in these offices is again related just to finding universities/faculties in other countries, that offer scholarship possibilities for Bosnian students or possibilities to attend different seminars and trainings;

27. State Authority in Charge of International Cooperation • Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina – Department of Scientific, Technical, Educational, Cultural and Sports Cooperation; - One of the tasks of this Department is cooperation related to: “international, scientific and research projects in the areas of science, technology, education and culture”, however, not one of these projects is mentioned at the site;

28. Agency for Statistics BiH – 2005 data • 113 Faculties, 84.475 students in 2004/05 • In 2005: • 8127 graduated (B.Sc.) • 298 M.Sc. • 91 Ph.D. • Estimated ~1000 Ph.D. (I Congress, Sarajevo, September 2006) • 303 secondary schools with 164.830 pupils, 44.772 finishedin 2005

29. QUESTIONNAIRES • Sent to 149 institutions • Received total of 8 responses, after repeated requests • 3 foreign researchers (plus 2 non-permanent)

30. STATISTICS OF RESPONSES • Incoming mobility to BiH exists – only one positive response, majority says NO • Incoming mobility important for development of research potentials – 100% YES • Incoming mobility important for EU accession – 100% YES • Is there any present offer at your institution for foreign expert engagement –two positive responses • Would you like to increase involvement of foreign researchers in your organization – 100% YES

31. STATISTICS – RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS Major obstacles for engagement of foreign researchers are: • Salaries level • Visa • Work permit • Diploma recognition

32. STATISTICS –FOREIGN RESEARCHERS IN BIH Major obstacles for engagement of foreign researchers are: • Long-lasting procedures and “papirology” related to getting visa and permit to stay in the country • Inexistence of any support centre that would provide foreign researchers interested for working in BiH all information on licences and permits, diploma recognition accommodation etc.

33. TIME HAS PASSED THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!