An Interface for Developments in Education
ERI SEE – Education Reform Initiative of South Eastern Europe

In the course of the transformation process, all education systems in South Eastern Europe have been undergoing fundamental reforms.

For years, the primary focus in this context has been on formal education, that is to say on the adaptation of vocational education and training to the new requirements of the labour markets, the reform of universities in accordance with the Bologna Process, and fundamental changes in the field of general education. The objective is to achieve harmonisation with and integration into the common system of education in the European region.

An important interface between the developments in education in South Eastern Europe and those at EU level was created in 2004 in the form of ERI SEE – Education Reform Initiative of South Eastern Europe¹. The aim of the initiative is to strengthen national education systems in South Eastern Europe through the exchange of experience with respect to education policy developments in the EU as well as through regional cooperation.

In order to achieve these goals, a variety of activities have been initiated. Particular focus has been placed on the networking of experts. At the level of education policy, for example, representatives of the various education ministries meet regularly to exchange their experiences. At the regional level, education experts attend workshops on key issues of European education development, such as lifelong learning, national qualification frameworks, quality assurance and equity. Even though this type of networking is of the utmost importance for sustainable exchange and development in the field of education, it is sometimes extremely difficult to get all the persons involved to sit down together for discussion. Sometimes an attempt will fail simply because not all the experts involved are able to obtain an entry visa for another country of the region in time.

In order to coordinate the various activities, a regional secretariat was established in Zagreb at the end of 2004. The region thereby assumed greater responsibility for the communication process in South Eastern Europe. The next step will be the establishment of an international secretariat in Belgrade, co-financed by the South Eastern European countries, in 2011.² In addition, ERI SEE aims to introduce new instruments for the exchange of experience, for example peer learning.   In recent years, ERI SEE has proven its worth as a network committed to the idea of sustainability. “Ultimately, the further success of this initiative depends on the region,” says Anton Dobart, Chairman of the Board of KulturKontakt Austria. “We can give support in terms of content and financial resources, but the network must also be actively utilised in the future by the member countries themselves.”

KulturKontakt Austria has been a member of the Advisory Council of ERI SEE ever since its founding, and also supports the network financially.

¹ ERI SEE was established in the context of the “Task Force Education and Youth” of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe under Austrian chairmanship. The initiative is based on a Memorandum of Understanding signed by all the ministers of education of the South Eastern European countries.   
² This is based on a Memorandum of Understanding signed in June 2010 in Brdo kod Kranja by the education ministers of Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro as well as by the Task Force and the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC).