Format and members
Regional Platform for Benchmarking and Cooperation in Higher Education and Research, hereafter ‘the Regional Platform’, is an association of universities and higher education authorities from the Region. It is a unique format aiming to provide a proper environment for a complex university-university, university-ministry, ministry-ministry benchmarking and cooperation across the Region.

Meaning of the word Region
Although initially the term 'Region' has referred to the geographic area from where founding members came (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo*, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia), we effectively use the word 'Region' in generic form by keeping the Platform open for participation of higher education institutions and authorities of the neighboring countries as well.

General goals
The Platform has been established to address a set of issues that are crucial to the advancement in development of higher education and research in the Region, promote European policy in higher education and research within the Region, encourage strategic debate on higher education issues which impact on its development and foster a collective Regional voice that is informed by a strategic and long-term vision.

Current focus
The current focus of the Platform is to ensure substantial advances in quality of doctoral studies and doctoral degree across the Region, beyond the thresholds established by national quality assurance authorities. It is also aiming to create instruments for sharing best human resources and capital research equipment, including enhancement of exchange of doctoral students, postdoctoral students and staff.

Legal status and how it came into being
Regional Platform was launched in 2012 in Dubrovnik on the occasion of Regional Strategic Forum, in association with EC funded STREW Tempus project: 511355-TEMPUS-1-2010-1-RS-TEMPUS-SMHES, as a descendant of the mature phase of ‘Novi Sad Initiative’ (see the related links). Since 2014, Regional Platform is registered as a legal entity in Croatia, with the Office in Dubrovnik, Don Frana Bulića 4.

Open Method of Coordination
The Open Method of Coordination that has been developed within the European educational and social arena provides a modus operandi that is supportive of Platform’s strategic objectives. This open method of coordination fully respects the autonomy of participating institutions, authorities and organisations within a transparent and collective endeavour to advance common goals.

* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration 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.