'Novi Sad Initiative' as a European expert discussion platform (2005 – 2012) and Regional initiative under the umbrella of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) had involved large number of prominent European and Regional higher education experts and HEIs and HEAs leadership, through regular biannual conferences (Novi Sad 2005, Dubrovnik 2007, Sarajevo 2009, Dubrovnik 2010 and Dubrovnik in 2012).

General Chair of the conferences/seminars/forums and Coordinator of the Initiative is prof. Ladislav Novak of the University of Novi Sad.

The Initiative had been launched to address strategic issues in higher education structural reform in the context of increasing international cooperation, including emerging models of integrated university within the Western Balkan Region and issues of quality of HEIs beyond established views, imposed by national quality assurance agencies and university league tables.

The issue of the ownership and funding of HEIs has become particularly important because of the role of higher education in economic and social development. Since funding, apart from legislation, has always been the main mechanism used by governments and financial powers to control universities, the Initiative raised concerns on the increasing views on higher education as a global commodity.

In 2010 a large consortium of higher education institutions and authorities, intimately related to the Novi Sad Initiative, received three years EC grant (STREW Tempus project: 511355-TEMPUS-1-2010-1-RS-TEMPUS-SMHES) to build capacity for structural reform in Western Balkan Countries.

Two years after (September 2012) in Dubrovnik, on the occasion of Regional Strategic Forum, the Regional Platform for Benchmarking and Cooperation in Higher Education and Research has been launched in association with STREW project, as a descendant of the mature phase of ‘Novi Sad Initiative’.

Conferences/Seminars/Forums

Dubrovnik, September 26-28, 2012
Dubrovnik Cluster of Regional Forums: Towards Regional Platform for Benchmarking and Cooperation in Higher Education *

Dubrovnik, September 27, 2012
Global Seminar on Strategic Issues in Higher Education: Going Beyond the Established Views

Petrovac, May 23-36, 2012
International Conference on Higher Education Reform: Towards Joint Regional Roadmap in Higher Education Structural Reforms

Dubrovnik, September 27-19, 2010
International Forum on Higher Education Reform: Foresight 2020

Sarajevo, October 30-31, 2009
International Conference on Higher Education: Building Capacity for Change in Western Balkan Region

Dubrovnik, October 29-31, 2007
International Conference on Higher Education: Addressing Questions on Institutional Reforms in Creating the European Higher Education Area

Novi Sad, October 28-30, 2005
International Seminar on Higher Education: The University of the 21st Century - Emerging models of Independence

Regional Platform

Address: Don Frana Bulića 4, 20000 Dubrovnik
Phone: +385 (0)20 326 380
E-mail: ladislav.uns@gmail.com

Platform as Unique Cooperative Format

Regional Platform is a unique format aiming to facilitate complex university-university, university-ministry, ministry-ministry benchmarking and cooperation across the Region.