Founded in 2018, the Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and Western Balkans comprises 34 universities from the region and is dedicated to enhancing the cooperation among universities and becoming the voice of academic institutions in the Region.
Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and Western Balkans is committed to addressing crucial issues, promoting European policy in higher education and research within the Region, sharing good practices, preparing joint projects, unifying legislation, encouraging staff and students exchange, etc.
Rules of organisation
Article 1
General Terms and Common Objectives
The universities of Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans which have signed the Academic Inter-Institutional Agreement on Cooperation or have subsequently become full or associated members, hereby confirm that they have established the Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and Western Balkans (hereinafter: Rectors’ Forum) through the Agreement and intend by this instrument to further lay down its organisation and certain rules of procedure.
The universities acknowledge that they will work in unison to achieve common objectives and interests, and reaffirm their common intention to contribute, through the activities of the Rectors’ Forum, to the development of academic and wider social communities.
Article 2
Composition of the Rectors’ Forum
The composition of the Rectors’ Forum may include other universities accredited by legally organized and empowered accreditation agencies. Other universities may join the Rectors’ Forum by presenting a statement that they accept the Agreement and these Rules and expressing their intent to adhere to the system of values upon which the Rectors’ Forum has been established.
The decision on accepting new members is made by the Rectors’ Forum by a two-thirds majority of the total number of full members.
Article 3
Status of Rectors’ Forum members
Universities can choose from two statuses: full member or associate member.
Accreditation on the national level is required for membership.
Full members participate in all Rectors’ Forum activities, including decision-making, and pay the full membership fee.
Associate members are informed about the activities of the Rectors’ Forum and decisions of its managing bodies and take part in its activities based on an invitation. They pay a lower membership fee.
All members must accept the Academic Inter-Institutional Agreement on Cooperation, Rules of Organisation of the Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans and the system of values upon which the Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans has been established.
Article 4
Legal Standing of the Rectors’ Forum
By forming the Rectors’ Forum the universities are not establishing a legal entity, and are in agreement to act within the framework of the informal, functional association in the area of higher education, teaching, research and transfer of knowledge.
The founders do consent to the Rectors’ Forum achieving full legal personality if required and when the appropriate conditions are fulfilled, whereupon the decision is to be made by the Rectors’ Forum Assembly through a majority vote.
Article 5
Bodies of the Rectors’ Forum
The bodies of the Rectors’ Forum are:
- The Assembly,
- The Secretariat,
- The President,
- and
- The Working Groups.
Article 6
Assembly
The Assembly is the highest body of the Rectors’ Forum.
The Assembly comprises the rectors of all full members’ universities that are part of the Rectors’ Forum.
The Assembly has the following responsibilities:
- considers issues important for the operation and development of universities,
- proposes to universities to undertake appropriate activities in the area of teaching, higher education, research and transfer of knowledge,
- adopts the joint activities programme for universities within the stated areas,
- encourages joint action on teaching, research and development projects,
- encourages the rational use of available resources in line with the principle of open access,
- encourages the joint strengthening of capacities in the area of teaching, higher education and transfer of knowledge,
- encourages the introduction and implementation of joint study programmes at all levels of study,
- recommends activities and measures that contribute to advancing internal and external mobility of teaching staff, associates, researchers and employees in administration, and the like,
- elects six members of the Secretariat,
- confirms the appointment of the Secretary General,
- confirms Working groups,
- dismisses six members of the Secretariat at their personal request or if they fail to adhere to the system of values upon which the Rectors’ Forum has been established,
- requests dismissal of the Secretary General,
- elects the President by a two-thirds majority of the total number of members,
- dismisses the President at their personal request or if they fail to adhere to the system of values upon which the Rectors Forum has been established,
- considers and adopts work programmes,
- considers and adopts the financial plan,
- considers and adopts the work report and financial report of the Rectors’ Forum,
- makes decisions as to membership fees,
- adopts rules of organisation and other acts important for the internal organisation and operation of the Rectors’ Forum.
The Assembly makes its decisions at sessions, which are chaired by the President. The rector of the university at which the session is held is co-chair of the session.
If not stated otherwise in these Rules, the Assembly adopts its decision by majority vote of its members present.
Assembly sessions are held at least once a year, usually in person. Exceptionally, the Assembly may meet by correspondence. Decisions taken at a correspondence meeting shall be adopted in the same way as decisions taken at in-person meetings.
Article 7
Secretariat
The Secretariat is a managerial body of the Rectors’ Forum.
The Assembly elects six members of the Secretariat from among the representatives of full members’ universities, for a period of four academic years. Among them there are three who chair the working groups.
The Secretariat has the following responsibilities:
making proposals to the Assembly regarding the annual work programme of the Rectors’ Forum,
making proposals to the Assembly regarding activities and measures which contribute to achieving common goals and interests,
making proposals to the Assembly regarding the financial plan of the Rectors’ Forum,
submitting to the Assembly the work report and financial report of the Rectors’ Forum,
overseeing the implementation of the decisions and conclusions of the Assembly,
overseeing and initiating the activities of the working groups.
The Secretary General chairs the meetings and organizes the work of the Secretariat.
Article 8
President
The President is a representative position of the Rectors’ Forum.
The Secretariat issues a call for the nomination of a new President by the full members of the Rectors’ Forum three months before the end of the term of office.
The Assembly elects the President from among the rectors of all full members’ universities for a period of two academic years, without the possibility of being elected successively.
The President is responsible for:
convening and chairing the Assembly,
coordinating the work with the Secretary General,
representing the Rectors’ Forum in public,
issuing statements and notices on behalf of the Rectors’ Forum in line with the conclusions of the Assembly.
Article 9
Vice-President
The Secretary General acts as the Vice-President.
In addition to the duties set forth in Article 7, the Vice-President assumes responsibilities stated in the previous article in the event that the President is prevented from fulfilling duties, or as empowered by the President.
Article 10
Rectors’ Forum Office
The office of the Rectors’ Forum is situated at the University of Ljubljana, Kongresni trg 12, Slovenia. The Secretary General is appointed by the University of Ljubljana.
Article 11
Working Groups
In-depth consideration and elaboration of the issues dealt with by the Rectors’ Forum are assigned to its working groups. The working groups help in the implementation of decisions taken by the Rectors’ Forum Assembly and the Secretariat, and initiate and prepare complex materials for the Rectors’ Forum Assembly in cooperation with the Secretariat.
The Rectors’ Forum has three permanent working groups:
Working group on education and sciences policies advancements in SEE,
Working group on research and innovation advancements in SEE, and
Working group on advancements of higher education programmes in SEE.
Rectors’ Forum members and the Secretariat may endorse written proposals for the establishment of other working groups. A new working group is established by the Assembly.
The working groups are composed of experts from the members’ universities. Each university may not have more than one member in a working group. The number of members in each working group may vary depending on the topics considered by the working group.
Each working group has its chair and is situated at the university where its chair is based. The chair and the hosting university are appointed by the Assembly for a period of four years. The chair must designate a deputy in case of absence.
Article 12
Financing of the Rectors’ Forum
Operations of the Rectors’ Forum are financed from:
annual contributions (membership fees) of the universities, which are determined by the Assembly, specifically for full and for associate members,
grants from the national budgets and budgets of the local communities,
donations from international organizations, associations and other legal entities,
from other sources, in accordance with applicable laws.
The funds intended for the operation of the Rectors’ Forum shall be held in a special account opened by the university where the Secretariat is based, as determined by the Assembly.
Membership fees are determined by the Rectors’ Forum Assembly and must be paid by the end of March for the current year.
Article 13
Cessation of membership and cessation of the Rectors’ Forum
Each member of the Rectors’ Forum may at any time and without providing any particular grounds unilaterally withdraw from the Rectors’ Forum.
A university may be excluded as a member of the Rectors’ Forum if it fails to adhere to the system of values upon which the Rectors’ Forum has been founded and if it does not pay the membership fee for two consecutive years. The decision on exclusion is made by the Assembly by majority vote of the total number of members.
The Rectors’ Forum may cease operating if the Assembly by a majority vote of the total number of members passes a decision on permanent cessation of operation.
The Rectors’ Forum may temporarily cease operation if particular circumstances impose such conditions. The decision on temporary cessation of operation shall be made by the Assembly by majority vote.
Article 14
Resolving disputes
All arrangements relating to the work of the Rectors’ Forum shall be resolved amicably, in line with the utmost mutual respect and academic tradition
Article 15
Entry into force
These Rules enter into force when, after adoption by a two-thirds majority of members of the Rectors’ Forum, they are signed by the President.
Rijeka, 5 September 2023
Prof. Vladan Đokić,
President of the Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and Western Balkans
Rector of the University of Belgrade
Declaration, September 2023
We, the representatives of universities gathered at the 7th Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and Western Balkans, unanimously declare our joint determination to increase and strengthen regional and international connections and joint undertakings, raise the quality standards of research and higher education, and enhance academic circular mobility within our institutional network. To that end, we call on the relevant international stakeholders to support the development of meaningful initiatives that could allow academics and highly skilled professionals to have greater impact on public policy and, consequently, advance all the countries, economies and societies in the region. An excellence-oriented and resilient science and education system is necessary to face the challenges Southeast Europe has to cope with.
The Rectors’ Forum has emerged from earlier initiatives to develop intra-regional university cooperation, with the aim of finding answers to common challenges and making use of existing potentials, while developing policies that foster integration into EHEA and ERA. We are fully cognisant of the value of the ‘Novi Sad Initiative’ and the biannual ‘International Forum on Higher Education Reform’ under the umbrella of the ‘Regional Cooperation Council and of the Regional Platform for Benchmarking and Cooperation in Higher Education and Research’. We value and commit to participate in the Berlin Process that facilitates cooperation and integration into the European Union, assembling relevant national stakeholders in education and science within the ‘Berlin Process Joint Science Conference’.
We acknowledge the significant steps taken recently towards the inclusion of Western Balkans and Southeast European universities into EHEA and ERA, especially through ‘Horizon Europe’ and ‘Erasmus+’, and emphasise the potential of the ‘European Universities Initiative’, which enables Western Balkan universities’ full membership and, consequently, their engagement in Europe’s transformative agenda. A comprehensive, long-term plan for research collaboration with the Western Balkans is also outlined in the European Commission’s ‘Agenda on Innovation, Research, Education, Culture, Youth, and Sports’.
Nevertheless, we feel compelled to also point out that the challenges identified over a decade ago have proven to be obdurate or even worsen. The innovation gap between the EU13 and EU14 is yet again evident in the latest ‘European Innovation Scoreboard’ from 2023, and it is considerably wider compared to Western Balkans countries. Our region performs lower on most indicators, such as human resources, digitalisation, intellectual assets, firm investment and linkages, employment impacts, etc. Such circumstances significantly affect Europe’s global competitiveness. Higher education and research funding, particularly in the Western Balkans, have constantly remained low, despite declared commitments to reach EU levels. Collaboration among universities from the region is less developed than with other European partners. Consequently, universities in the region are unable to attain robust and broad expertise to head complex and demanding projects, which in turn weakens their contribution to the societies to which they belong. It is through a concerted effort of fostering deeper cooperation and knowledge exchange among universities in the Western Balkans, and by leveraging the wealth of expertise within our European counterparts, that we can collectively bridge this innovation gap and bolster our collective contribution to both regional and European advancement. Most talented young graduates have limited potential for career development and, therefore, seek opportunities beyond the region. The region remains a source of emigration of talents, and this is turning into a structural weakness.
We strongly believe that there can be no social and economic development, nor indeed sustainable peace, without making education and research a collaborative endeavour of the highest priority in Southeast Europe. We call upon all relevant international stakeholders, especially those participating in the Berlin Process from the Western Balkans countries, to prioritise ‘multi-country’ initiatives, including a wide range of additional financing that would enable students, academics, and researchers from the region to provide significant contributions to Europe’s global ambitions. We call for targeted support for research and innovation excellence centres and technology development in the region itself; staff capacity-building for science management; implementation of a European Student Card, and region-tailored mobility of students, researchers and staff within our institutional network and between different economic sectors of participating countries – all leading to a higher, evidence- and expertise-based contribution to public policy, thus, progressively closing the innovation and development gap.
We, the representatives of universities from the entire region, declare our dedication to continue operating the Forum as a platform that develops concepts, co-ordinates measures and jointly advocates for European and regional collaboration, and European integration. Representing a unique, regionally owned regional platform, we call upon all relevant international stakeholders to include the Rectors’ Forum as a partner for the implementation of higher education and research policies and initiatives in Southeast Europe and Western Balkans.
General Assembly of the Rectors’ Forum
of Southeast Europe and Western Balkans
September 2023, Rijeka
