From April 7 to 8, 2025, the University of Montenegro hosted the 10th meeting of the Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and Western Balkans and the ULYSSEUS International Networking Conference.
The Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and Western Balkans is composed of 34 respected universities from 9 Western Balkans countries. The universities of the region have come together once or twice a year to discuss common issues and development challenges of the Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans region, to enhance cooperation among universities, address important regional and European themes and become the voice of academic institutions in the region.
Within the framework of the Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and Western Balkans, we also promote cooperation between the European university alliances by organising joint activities and events. Almost half (16) of the members of the Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and Western Balkans are members of the European University Alliances.
The host – University of Montenegro is also a member of the ULYSSEUS European University Alliance. Considering this, the Ulysseus International Networking Conference was held as part of the two-day event.
We organised a series of events to reflect on our achievements and discuss future opportunities and growth within the academic community. The discussions focused on the importance of quality assurance at European and national level, the European degree and the role of universities in the enlargement process and beyond, as well as the activities of the working groups and the challenges and benefits of the European alliances.
The Ulysseus International Networking Conference set the ground for discussions on cooperation between universities from the EU and the Western Balkans within the initiative of the European University Alliances, highlighting the good practices and challenges of this cooperation, while acknowledging the different contexts and governance capacities of cooperating institutions. More than 60 representatives took part in the meeting of the Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and Western Balkans and the Ulysseus International Networking Conference.
79 representatives from 35 institutions, including 14 rectors and 20 vice-rectors, took part in the meeting of the Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and Western Balkans and the ULYSSEUS International Networking Conference.
The welcome address was delivered by Prof. Dr. Vladimir Božović, Rector of the University of Montenegro and the President of the Rectors’ Forum Prof. Dr. Snježana Prijić-Samaržija. After the opening speeches, there were two plenary sessions. Ms. Kinga Szuly, Head of Sector at the Higher Education Policy at Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, European Commission, introduced the discussion on the European degree. The European Commission is working together with EU countries and their higher education systems towards creating a European degree. Several policies propose a concrete cooperation path towards a universally recognised qualification, and what support measures could be available. The European degree will benefit the wider education sector and increase transnational cooperation among higher education institutions. Mr. Aleksandar Šušnjar, Director of EQAR, presented the importance of quality assurance at European and national level. The plenary session was followed by a debate and reflection by the rectors, vice-rectors and representatives of the quality assurance agencies from the Western Balkan region. Afterwards was a Matchmaking event in which the participants discussed activities within the Berlin Process, project Toolkit for Knowledge Transfer at Public Universities in the Western Balkans Six supported by the Regional Cooperation Council, research opportunities with Italian istitutions and activities of the Rectors’ Forum working group.
The second day was dedicated to the Ulysseus International Networking Conference. Within the conference, two sessions presented good practices of European University alliances (ULYSSEUS, YUFE, ACE2EU, CIRCLE-U, YUFE, ACROSS, SUNRISE, ULYSSEUS, UNINOVIS, SUNRISE, EUPeace) and their role in the modernization of education and capacity building of universities in the Western Balkans. The final session was dedicated to a high-level debate on the role of universities in the European integration process. Dr. Filip Ivanović, Deputy-Prime Minister of the Government of Montenegro, Mr. Johann Sattler, the Ambassador of the European Union to Montenegro and Prof. Dr. Ivan Svetlik, University of Ljubljana, Secretary General of the Rectors’ Forum presented a view of the role of universities in the EU accession process.
During the General Assembly participants discussed the annual report, the financial plan, the rules of organization, the election of the new President and the support to the Serbian academic community. Prof. Prijić-Samaržija also mentioned the EUI’s initiative to hold a joint event with the Centre for Advanced Studies in Rijeka in October 2025.
The University of Montenegro also organised a visit to the Dado Đurić exhibition and the planting and touring olive trees.
The University of Montenegro (UCG) is a full member of the European University Ulysses, a network of European universities, as the only university from a non-EU country. The network is led by the University of Seville, and in addition to the University of Montenegro includes the University of Genoa (Italy), the University of the Côte d’Azur (France), the Technical University of Košice (Slovakia), the MCI Entrepreneurship School (Austria) and the Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences (Finland).
Information about the event in Montenegrin
- https://www.prcentar.me/clanak/sveano-otvoren-10-rektorski-forum-budunost-se-ne-gradi-sama-univerzitet-mora-pokazati-smjer/2844
- https://prcentar.me/clanak/ulysseus-konferencija-uloga-univerziteta-kljuna-u-procesu-evropskih-integracija/2848
- https://www.ucg.ac.me/objava/blog/10/objava/195349-ulysseus-konferencija-uloga-univerziteta-kljucna-u-procesu-evropskih-integracija
- https://www.ucg.ac.me/objava.php?blog_id=617809&objava_id=195697
Recordings of the event
- Day 1 – 10th Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and Western Balkans
- Day 2 – ULYSSEUS international networking conference
MEETING DOCUMENTS
- AGENDA
- PRACTICAL INFORMATION
- INTRODUCTION TO THE EVENT, Prof. Dr. Ivan Svetlik, University of Ljubljana, Secretary General of the Rectors’ Forum
- EUROPEAN DEGREE, Ms. Kinga Szuly, Head of Sector at the Higher Education Policy at Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, European Commission
- THE IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY ASSURANCE AT EUROPEAN AND NATIONAL LEVEL, Mr. Aleksandar Šušnjar, Director of EQAR
- TOOLKIT FOR KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER at Public Universities in the Western Balkans Six,
Mr. Siniša Marčić, Regional Cooperation Council - ENHANCING RESEARCH COLLABORATION: OPPORTUNITIES WITH ITALY, Dr. Francesca Tolve, Head of Sector for Science Diplomacy and International Cooperation, National Research Council of Italy
- Working group on EDUCATION AND SCIENCE POLICIES ADVANCEMENTS in SEE, Dr. Gazela Pudar Draško, University of Belgrade, member of the Rectors’ Forum Secretariat and Chair of the WG on Education and Science Policies Advancement in SEE
- QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, Ms. Tatjana Ćalasan, Agency for Control and Quality Assurance of Higher Education, Montenegro, Director
- Working Group on ADVANCEMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION PROGRAMMES in SEE, Prof. Dr. Marta Žuvić, Vice-Rector of the University of Rijeka for Studies, Students and Quality Assurance, member of the Rectors’ Forum Secretariat and Chair of the WG on Advancement of Higher Education Programmes in SEE
- Working Group on RESEARCH AND INNOVATION ADVANCEMENTS in SEE, Prof. Dr. Boštjan Markoli, Vice-Rector of the University of Ljubljana for Internationalization and Quality, member of the Rectors’ Forum Secretariat and Chair of the WG on Research and Innovation in SEE
- Alliance: ULYSSEUS, Prof. Dr. Srđan Redžepagić, Director of Balkan Institute for Science and Innovation, University Côte d’Azur
- Alliance: YUFE, Prof. Dr. Marta Žuvić, Vice-Rector of the University of Rijeka for Studies, Students and Quality Assurance, member of the Rectors’ Forum Secretariat and Chair of the WG on Advancement of Higher Education Programmes in SEE
- Alliance: ULYSSEUS, Stéphane Ngo Mai, Université Côte d’Azur
- Alliance: ACROSS, Assist. Prof. Dr. Milica Balaban, Vice-Rector of the University of Banja Luka for Teaching, Student Affairs and Quality
- Alliance: UNINOVIS, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eglantina Gishti, University of Tirana
- Alliance SUNRISE, Prof. Dr. Emina Junuz, University of Dzemal Bijedic in Mostar (Alliance: SUNRISE)
- Alliance: EUPeace, Prof. Dr. Sanja Bijakšić, Vice-Rector of the University of Mostar for International Relations, member of the Rectors’ Forum Secretariat
- POLICY ORIENTATIONS, Prof. Dr. Ivan Svetlik, University of Ljubljana, Secretary General of the Rectors’ Forum
- Alliance: ULYSSEUS, Prof. Dr. Sanja Peković, Vice-Rector of the University of Montenegro for Internationalization
- Alliance: ACE2EU, Prof. Dr. Dejan Mirakovski, Rector of the Goce Delcev University
- Alliance: Circle-U, Dr. Gazela Pudar Draško, University of Belgrade, member of the Rectors’ Forum Secretariat and Chair of the WG on Education and Science Policies Advancement in SEE
- GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The University of Ljubljana organises various activities, events and workshops on topical issues within the framework of EUTOPIA, Alliance of ten European universities, and the Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and Western Balkans. Almost half of the members of the Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and Western Balkans are members of the European University Alliances. Within the framework of the Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and Western Balkans, we also promote cooperation between the European university alliances by organising joint activities and events.
