Chaos reigns in higher education throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, and even after students have endured the mismanagement of the university system, their qualifications are not recognised outside the country because the authorities here have failed to meet their international obligations in respect to the accreditation and validation of academic qualifications, the High Representative and EU Special Representative, Christian Schwarz-Schilling, wrote in his weekly newspaper column.
The High Representative and EU Special Representative noted a recent case where nearly 300 graduates from two private faculties in Republika Srpska had their degrees annulled because the Education Ministry concluded that the process of academic assessment at the faculties was flawed. Although the authorities of Republika Srpska acted decisively, “this is just one among many instances where students have been penalised because of institutional failures,” he wrote in an article that appeared in Dnevni avaz, Nezavisne novine and Večernji list today.
In response to this situation, Mr Schwarz-Schilling called on the members of
“While it will not on its own solve the problems of the university sector, it represents a huge step towards rehabilitating tertiary education in this country, especially when coupled with related reforms aimed at placing universities on a sound financial footing and establishing codes of ethics and improved standards of democracy, autonomy, governance and management,” he wrote.
The current draft legislation was produced by educationalists from throughout
It will also provide for the integration of faculties in the universities throughout
“Members of
The text of the High Representative/EU Special Representative’s weekly column can be accessed at www.ohr.int and www.eusrbih.org.