Student Mobility
Encouraging mobility for learning and improvement of the international dimension of education, and the development of international relations among educational institutions, is one of the most important strategic goals in BiH. In order to achieve these objectives, a number of instruments were established, of which the most important are funds and programmes of the EU, and intergovernmental bilateral and multilateral programmes and initiatives. BiH benefits Community programmes supporting mobility for learning.
The internationalisation of education, especially higher education is an integral part of all policy documents at national and institutional level. The legal framework is developed in the direction of facilitating and encouraging internationalization in all its aspects, including mobility.
One of the goals of the recently written document, but not yet adopted, Priorities for HE Development in Bosnia and Herzegovina is internationalisation. Its aim is to improve regional and cross-border cooperation through joint registration and participation in projects; actively support the international mobility of HEI’s staff by linking this to career advancement; support the development of study programmes in foreign languages; support the international mobility of students; create conditions for accommodation and other infrastructural capacities for international trade; provide training in foreign languages to staff in HEIs, and enable learning of official languages in BiH to visiting staff; strengthen human and financial resources of services for international cooperation in HEIs; create legal and other requirements for the development of programmes for the acquisition of joint degrees; develop and fund programmes to gain experience abroad for graduates in the field of growth and innovation, on the condition that they return and apply their knowledge in BiH.
On January 2016 a new project “Internationalization of Higher Education of Bosnia and Herzegovina – STINT” has been implementing in BiH. It includes University of East Sarajevo, University of Banja Luka, Džemal Bijedić University of Mostar, University of Mostar, University of Sarajevo, University of Tuzla and University of Zenica. The aim of the project is improvement of internationalization of higher education in BiH and academic mobility through the procedures of academic and professional recognition of foreign higher education diplomas inline with the Lisbon Recognition Convention.
In order to promote academic exchanges between universities in the region, Europe and beyond, universities and colleges in BiH are equal partners in many mobility projects. A unique database of Scholarships for Western Balkans (S4WB) is available to all students in BiH. S4WB offers a wide range of scholarships for students and researchers of the WB, and gives them the opportunity to be informed about financial aid for undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral studies. The database provides information on scholarships from 17 fields of study in 33 countries across Europe. Education is a key contribution to the integration into the EU. Therefore, this database provides the Western Balkans students easy access to detailed information about the possibilities of studying abroad, as well as basic information about financial assistance. S4WB will enable students of the Western Balkans to gain new experience in a different cultural environment and to apply this experience upon their return to their homeland.
BiH signed Erasmus + Agreement in June 2014, which replaced all previous programmes in the period 2007-2013, such as: The Lifelong Learning Programme (with its sub-programmes of Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci, Comenius and Grundtvig), Youth in Action, Erasmus Mundus, Tempus, Alfa Edulink. Students from BiH are included in various mobility programs: Erasmus Mundus, CEEPUS, MEVLANA, UNET Network as well as through institutional bilateral agreements.
All 8 public universities from BiH participated in the Erasmus Mundus action 2 projects, including the University of Sarajevo, University of Banja Luka, University of Mostar, Dzemal Bijedic University of Mostar, University of Tuzla, University of Zenica, University of Bihac, and the University of East Sarajevo.
Bosnia and Herzegovina became an equal member of the CEEPUS program by signing the international Agreement - CEEPUS II in 2007. In March 2010, the current Agreement on the Central European Exchange Program for University Studies - CEEPUS III was signed, which entered into force in May 2011 and will be in force until 2025. Given that the member states have opted for the continuation of the CEEPUS program after 2025, the new Agreement CEEPUS IV was signed on 20 September 2023 in Warsaw, and will enter into force in May 2025, for a period of seven years.
In 2023, 120 incoming CEEPUS mobilities were implemented in Bosnia and Herzegovina, of which 49 incoming mobilities were implemented at universities in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and 71 incoming mobilities of visiting professors and students at universities in the Republika Srpska.
Regarding outgoing mobilities, in 2023, 398 outgoing mobilities were implemented, of which 266 outgoing mobilities were implemented from universities in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while 132 outgoing mobilities were implemented by professors and students of universities in the Republika Srpska.
CIP, as ENIC center of BiH, has continued with the presentation of BiH in ENIC/NARIC networks through provision of information about the higher education system of BiH for purpose of the recognition abroad of higher education qualifications obtained in BiH abroad as well as information to the competent BiH authorities for recognition of foreign higher education qualifications obtained abroad in BiH. The CIP website (www.cip.gov.ba) provides all information related to the recognition and academic mobility. In line with the Lisbon Recognition Convention, CIP has published important recommendations: Recommendations on Criteria for Evaluation in the Process of the Recognition of Foreign Higher Education Qualifications for the Purposes of Employment or Further Education. Recommendations on the use of Qualifications Frameworks in the Process of the Recognition of Foreign Higher Education Qualifications in BiH and Recommendations on the Recognition of Foreign Higher Education Qualifications in BiH to the Persons with Insufficient Documentation or without Documentation, Recommendations on the Recognition of Foreign Higher Education Qualifications Acquired through Cross-border Education and Recommendations on the Recognition of Foreign Higher Education Qualifications Acquired through Joint Programmes.
Priorities for the Development of Higher Education in BiH 2016-2026. define mobility as a priority within the chapter dealing with internationalization. It is recommended to ensure through training programs that all stakeholders in higher education understand the development of the Bologna Process and implement it correctly, especially in terms of pedagogy, quality and accreditation; change the focus of internationalization - mobility must be two-way; create a favorable normative environment for the recognition of mobility periods of all types at higher education institutions abroad; issue a diploma supplement at all higher education institutions without a special fee along with the diploma; establish alumni associations at all higher education institutions.
The Strategy for the Development of Science and Technology, Higher Education and Information Society in the Republika Srpska for the period 2023-2029 was adopted in August 2023. Within the framework of priority 2.1. Improving the quality of higher education and more efficient management of the development of the higher education system, a number of measures have been defined, including the measure Support for the development of interuniversity, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary studies. Namely, the development of study programs is considered one of the important tasks faced by higher education institutions. The development and adjustment of the structure of study programs represents both changes within universities and their research and educational policies, as well as education based on the competencies required for the labor market, cooperation between universities with the public and private sectors, and the systematic development of research staff through real engagement in scientific research work, not only for the needs of a continuous influx of teaching staff, but also for the needs of other social sectors and the labor market, industry, entrepreneurship, trade, public institutions, research and other organizations. Mobility, regional cooperation, interdisciplinarity, multidisciplinarity and international cooperation will be promoted throughout the study development process.
Academic Staff Mobility
The mobility of academic staff has been conducted through participation in numerous TEMPUS projects since 1996 in BiH and is further improved with BiH access to Erasmus +, which opens up opportunities for participation and linking HEIs in joint research programmes and projects of the EHEA. Teaching staff in BiH is included in the mobility programs: Erasmus MUNDUS (JOINEU SEE, SUNBEAM), CEEPUS and MEVLANA, as well as through bilateral institutional agreements.