The regional conference titled “Shaping the Future of Higher Education in the Western Balkans” was held in Skopje on 26 and 27 March 2026, bringing together key stakeholders from the fields of higher education, public policy, and business from across the Western Balkans region and beyond.
The conference was co-organised by the Regional Cooperation Council and the World Bank under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and Science of North Macedonia. Representing the Agency for Science and Higher Education (ASHE), the conference was attended by Irena Petrušić, PhD, Deputy Director.
Irena Petrušić, PhD, participated in the panel discussion titled “Making Internationalisation Work — Quality, Governance and Financing”, which explored how quality assurance, inter-institutional cooperation, and recognition systems contribute to more effective internationalisation of higher education. The discussion covered topics such as accreditation and comparable standards enabling international recognition, cooperation among national quality assurance agencies, governance models supporting institutional collaboration, and data systems facilitating graduate mobility and policy alignment.
The introductory presentation was delivered by Roberta Malee Bassett, while the panel was moderated by Koen Martijn Geven. The panelists included Patrick Van den Bosch, Irena Petrušić, Technological University Dublin representative Ellen Hazelkorn, and Ninoslav Sćukanec Schmidt.
During the two-day programme, participants had the opportunity to engage in high-level discussions and exchange practical experiences through various formats. The event included a ministerial round table dedicated to global competitiveness and alignment with European standards, as well as a series of thematic panels.
One of the key outcomes of the conference was the drafting of a regional strategic document, which will serve as guidance for future steps and the further development of higher education policies in the region following the conclusion of the event.
The conference brought together representatives of ministries, the academic community, researchers, business sector representatives, international organisations, experts, and students, reaffirming the importance of joint action in shaping a sustainable and competitive future for higher education in the Western Balkans.
