The structural Erasmus+ CBHE STAND project (2021-2022) aims to improve the governance processes and university autonomy mechanisms at partner universities in Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro through strengthening their capacities, accountability and transparency. The structural dimension of the STAND project entails improving governance, university management structures, strategic planning and operational processes to support public and private higher education institutions in the Western Balkans. To this end, the development of national legal and policy frameworks for university autonomy will be supported by the Ministries of Education of all three partner countries. The STAND project represents the holistic approach to strengthening university autonomy in four specific dimensions - organisational, academic, staff and financial autonomy, which are the main priorities of university governance in Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro and which are very necessary for the successful university transformations in the Western Balkans.

Five specific objectives of the STAND project are: 

-       To enhance modernisation of governance in Western Balkans Universities through capacity building, experience
exchange and upgraded infrastructure;

-      To improve the university autonomy through empowering national and university level regulations and structures;

-      To create and adopt the university autonomy scorecard for Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro;

-       To expand an effective cooperation between HEIs and the relevant ministries in improving the transparency,
accountability and financial sustainability;

 -   To establish a network of experts on university autonomy and harmonise university autonomy models in line with the EU higher education standards.

The STAND project partners are:

International Business College Mitrovica, Kosovo (project coordinator);

University of Pristina, Kosovo;

Gjilan Public University " Kadri Zeka", Kosovo;

University of Applied Sciences in Ferizaj, Kosovo;

University of Gjakova “Fehmi Agani”, Kosovo;

POLIS University, Albania;

University of Tirana, Albania;

Aleksandër Moisiu University Durrës, Albania;

University of Montenegro, Montenegro;

Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Kosovo;

Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth, Albania;

Ministry of Education, Montenegro;

Hamburg University of Technology, Germany;

University of Zagreb, Croatia;

University of Foggia, Italy;

South East European University, Republic of North Macedonia;

European University Association, Belgium.

The STAND project also intends to involve associated partners to contribute to the specific project tasks and activities, such as quality assurance and accreditation bodies in Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro for target consultation and to ensure harmonisation of the developed models and components of university autonomy in line with higher education standards.

The STAND project was initiated as a result of the needs assessment in the partner countries and provides the strategic direction for the sustainable development of higher education among the national and regional priorities for the WBC region. The activities of the first year of the project include the development of the University Autonomy Scorecard with the aim of contributing to raising awareness in the higher education sector about the necessary changes to create a favourable regulatory environment for university autonomy over the traditional models of the higher education system in Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro. The second year of the project includes the establishment of expert network necessary to increase competences and collective knowledge about the practices and models of university autonomy. The University Management Software, purchased and adopted early in the project, has the purpose of automating the educational system and governance processes and is a crucial tool for STAND project implementation, contributing to the transparency of university facilities as well as university autonomy. The increased university autonomy in the main dimensions: organisational, staff, financial and academic levels will translate into improved staff and infrastructural capacities and enhance transparency and accountability of partner universities.

Close cooperation between partner universities, ministries and accreditation bodies will foster valued trust between governance bodies and stakeholders in the higher education system and will have an impact on the overall decision-making processes in the higher education sector in the WBC region. It will also increase partner universities' awareness of the new responsibilities, tasks and perspectives resulting from the increased freedom of governance and will promote a culture of accountability that relies on quality rather than control. Harmonised practices between universities, relevant ministries and accreditation bodies will promote strategic and open dialogue to ensure that decisions are fit for purpose and implemented appropriately. The knowledge exchange and expertise shared by EU universities will help partner country universities to develop adequate funding models and to achieve an appropriate balance between public and private funding, as well as to improve university governance and financial procedures. Improved higher education regulations will help streamline and simplify rules and regulations, bridging the gap between theoretical and actual autonomy. The unique capacity-building trainings and targeted counselling for university management and academic staff round off the model of university autonomy in the main dimensions: organisational, personnel, financial and academic. Finally, an online platform will be launched to support the exchange of best practices and expert knowledge on the matter of university autonomy, as well as to facilitate dissemination activities in order to make the project results available to a wider audience, thus increasing the long-term impact and generating the multiplier effect of the STAND project.

Web-Links:

STAND project website

Contact person:

Prof. Dr. Thorsten Blecker

Tel. +49 40 42878 3524

E-Mail: blecker(at)tuhh.de

Olena Soltmann

Tel. +49 40 42878 4525

E-Mail: olena.soltmann(at)tuhh.de