Skopje – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), the World Bank, and the Ministry of Education and Science of North Macedonia today launched a regional conference on higher education internationalisation in the Western Balkans and South East Europe in Skopje. At a time when education systems are rapidly transforming under the impact of digitalisation and global competition, regional cooperation is becoming a key driver of quality and relevance. The event titled “Bridging Futures: Internationalisation of Higher Education in the Western Balkans and Southeast Europe” brings together regional education ministers and high officials, policymakers, university leaders, quality assurance bodies, industry representatives, and international experts to advance a shared agenda for strengthening higher education systems through internationalisation.

The event was opened by Vesna Janevska, Minister of Education and Science of North Macedonia, Amer Kapetanovic, RCC Secretary General, and Xiaoqing Yu, World Bank Division Director for the Western Balkans.

“By hosting this conference under its patronage, the Government of North Macedonia emphasizes the importance of regional cooperation and practical follow up. Our objective is to move beyond dialogue towards a shared regional roadmap that promotes excellence, improves quality, and expands opportunities for students, researchers, and universities,” said Vesna Janevska, Minister of Education and Science of North Macedonia.

As the region moves closer to European Union (EU) integration, internationalisation of higher education is increasingly seen as a shared regional agenda. Building on progress achieved through the Common Regional Market, including agreements that facilitate student mobility, mutual recognition of professional qualifications, and reduced barriers to movement, the conference explores how cooperation across the region among universities, industry, and policymakers can further strengthen quality, relevance, and impact in higher education.

“In a world where information moves instantly, education systems must ensure that knowledge keeps its value. For the Western Balkans, this means strengthening mobility, improving quality, and better connecting our systems so that opportunities for young people are not limited. Our region has already taken important steps to reduce barriers and enable students and professionals to move, learn, and work more freely. The next step is to ensure that our systems are aligned, comparable, and able to deliver real opportunities across the region. Regional cooperation is not an option, it is the only way to make our education systems fit for the future,” said Amer Kapetanovic, RCC Secretary General.

The conference programme includes a ministerial roundtable on global competitiveness and EU alignment, policy panels addressing mobility, innovation and industry partnerships, quality assurance, governance, and financing, and thematic working sessions focused on translating policy priorities into implementation. These sessions cover areas such as governance and quality assurance systems, university and industry partnership, youth mobility, and brain circulation.

“Internationalisation allows the region to collaborate rather than compete. This conference demonstrates the strength of a regional approach to higher education development and reform, one where universities and industry work across borders to co create skills, innovations, and opportunities for job creation and workforce development that no single institution or system could deliver alone,” said Xiaoqing Yu, World Bank Division Director for the Western Balkans.

The conference will serve as a base for preparation of a draft regional policy note and roadmap on the internationalisation of higher education in the Western Balkans and South East Europe. The roadmap will consolidate good practices and priority actions identified during the conference and provide guidance for coordinated regional collaboration.

The conference is a part of the SEE2030 Strategy activities, contributing to its goals of advancing regional cooperation and development.

More information on the event