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Author: WeBalkans

Bringing the European excellence to Tirana: Memorandum of Understanding signed with College of Europe

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In a dedicated event, held at Europe House in Tirana on Friday 6 October, the European Union took a significant step towards enhancing educational opportunities for Albanian students. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the esteemed College of Europe, opening doors to a world-class education for aspiring Albanian scholars. The agreement formalises and paves the way for the establishment of a College of Europe branch in the Albanian capital.

 

The event was attended by high officials, both from the EU and Albania, including Rector of College of Europe, Federica Mogherini, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, Ambassador Luigi Soreca, Managing Director of the European Union Angelina Eichhorst, Minister of Education and Sports Ogerta Manastirliu, and Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj. Their collective presence underscored the importance of this collaboration in fostering stronger ties between Albania and the European Union. The memorandum, which will bring for the first time this prestigious institute outside the EU, was signed by the representatives of the Ministry of Education, Tirana Municipality, and College of Europe, in the presence of Commissioner Varhelyi and Ambassador Soreca.

 

The ceremony was attended also by the Young European Ambassadors (YEA) from Albania.  During the event, YEAs had the privilege of meeting with prominent figures such as Olivér Várhelyi, the Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Luigi Soreca, the EU Ambassador to Albania, and Federica Mogherini, the Rector of the College of Europe. The enthusiastic YEAs conveyed their excitement about this new campus.

 

The College of Europe is renowned for its excellence in educating future European leaders and diplomats. By establishing a presence in Tirana, it offers an excellent opportunity to local students and others from around the world to access top-notch education in a newly founded campus. This development aligns perfectly with the EU’s commitment to support education and skill development in its neighbouring regions.

Albanian YEAs Visit EU4Schools-Funded Project

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On October 2nd, Young European Ambassadors (YEAs) Edona Haklaj and Stjuart Islamaj, from Albania, paid a visit to the “Olsi Lasko” high school, which has been meticulously reconstructed thanks to the #EU4Schools programme. During their visit, Edona and Stjuart had the opportunity to explore the school’s upgraded facilities and engage with the students there. Additionally, they took the opportunity to introduce the YEA Network and shed light on the myriad opportunities that the European Union offers to the region’s young populace. The YEAs also had a valuable exchange with both students and teachers, gaining insights into the transformative impact the project has had on the learning experience. These insights were subsequently shared via Webalkans’ social media channels.

 

The “EU4Schools” initiative is a commendable program funded by the European Union, launched in response to the devastating earthquake that struck Albania on November 26, 2019. This programme is currently being executed through a collaborative effort between UNDP and the Albanian government, providing essential support to citizens across eleven municipalities: Durrës, Kamza, Kavaja, Kruja, Kurbin, Lezha, Mirdita, Rrogozhina, Shijak, Tirana, and Vora. It is worth noting that this program forms a vital component of the European Union’s financial commitment, as declared during the International Donors’ Conference held in Brussels on February 17, 2020. The overarching objective of this initiative is to further bolster local and national governments in their efforts to mitigate social and economic losses, while expediting the recovery process through the renovation and reconstruction of educational facilities.

Launching the Digital for Development Hub for the Western Balkans

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The European Union and its Member States have launched the Digital for Development (D4D) Hub for the EU Neighbouring Countries to step up their regional engagement in the digital field.  The objective of the D4D Hub in the EU Neighbouring Countries will be to increase the impact of the efforts of the EU and its Member States to promote a human-centric digital transformation, driven by people’s needs, fundamental rights, and intersectional challenges to close the digital divide between the EU and its partners.

 

The D4D Hub will serve as a strategic platform for our regional partners to actively engage with the European Union and its Member States, discuss joint priorities in the digital field, and identify concrete opportunities to advance cooperation.

BIRN Journalist Frosina Dimeska Wins EU Investigative Award

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Frosina Dimeska, a journalist at Prizma/BIRN, has won second prize from the European Union for her outstanding investigative journalism in North Macedonia. The awards ceremony took place on September 28 in Skopje.

 

Dimeska’s work exposed a significant scandal involving a controversial Ukrainian figure, Oleksandr Onishchenko, who managed to obtain a North Macedonian passport despite being under sanctions from both the United States and Ukraine, where authorities sought his extradition. The judges recognised the impact of Dimeska’s investigation, leading to the government revoking Onishchenko’s North Macedonian citizenship. However, no individuals have been held accountable for the scandal as of now.

 

In expressing her gratitude, Dimeska stated: “This award serves as motivation for me and is a testament to Prisma editorial team’s commitment to continued in-depth investigative journalism.” First prize went to the documentary Bad Blood, produced by the Investigative Reporting Laboratory IRL. Additionally, “KOD”, a series of video stories aired on TV Telma, secured third place. The awards, presented by EU Ambassador David Geer in Skopje, celebrate exceptional journalistic work produced over the past year.

Culture Moves Europe call for artists opens again

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The second call for individual mobility of artists and cultural professionals is now open for submission of applications for mobility grants to 40 Creative Europe countries, including Western Balkans.  Artists and cultural professionals in the following sectors may apply: architecture,cultural heritage,design and fashion design,literature,music,visual artsand performing arts.

 

The Culture Moves Europe calls operate on a rolling basis. This means that the call period is relatively long, with evaluation periods at the end of every month during the application period. This second round is open from 2 October 2023 until 31 May 2024, 23.59 CET (Central European Time). Applicants whose project have been selected will have one year starting from the date of signature of their grant agreement to complete their project.

19 families received keys to new apartments in municipality of Kladanj, Bosnia and Herzegovina

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A further 19 beneficiary families received keys to new apartments in two buildings in the municipality of Kladanj, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) today, thanks to the Regional Housing Programme (RHP). The ceremony, which was attended by all 19 families, took place in front of one of the buildings, in the village of Stupari. The RHP will come to an end later this year, by which time it will have delivered close to 11 300 secure homes to approximately 36 000 refugee and displaced persons across BiH, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia.

 

In addition to the beneficiaries themselves, the event was attended by Sevlid Hurtić, Minister for Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Nerin Dizdar, Minister of Displaced Persons and Refugees in the Federation of BiH; Gianluca Vannini, Head of Operations, Section for Social Development, Civil Society and Cross-Border Cooperation at the European Union Delegation to BiH; Jusuf Čavkunović, Mayor of Kladanj, and Damir Gnjidić, Head of the Field Office in Tuzla at the OSCE Mission in BiH, amongst others.

 

On behalf of the European Union – the main Donor to the RHP – Gianluca Vannini noted that the Programme had been an excellent example of successful joint work in the region to promote peace, stability, and socioeconomic development. “The homes that we are delivering today are yet another tangible example of the European Union’s support for the citizens of BiH,” he said. “I am very satisfied with the results we have achieved.” These words were echoed by Minister Dizdar, who commended the successful cooperation between BiH and the EU.

European Researchers Night is open!

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The European Researchers Night is being held in Serbia for the 14th time, and in addition to numerous activities across the country, a ceremony was held in the Museum of Science and Technology in Belgrade, opened by the Ambassador of the European Union to Serbia Emanuele Giaufret, and the Minister of Science Dr. Jelena Begović.

 

Researchers Night is composed of open and free content, it is initiated by the European Commission in 26 European countries, i.e. in more than 400 cities, including 24 cities in Serbia. The goal of this manifestation is to raise public awareness of the importance and positive role of science for society, by putting researchers in the focus of the wider public. The contents are suitable for all ages, no prior knowledge is necessary.

 

During the ceremonial opening of the 14th European Researchers Night, the panel “Science and innovation – an opportunity for development” was held, in which the following experts participate: Vladimir Crnojevic, Director of the BioSense Institute, Ivan Rakonjac, Director of the Innovation Fund and Milica Djuric, acting director of the Science Fund.

Europe House Talks – a New Platform for Cooperation between the EU and BiH

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Young activists, changemakers, artists, cultural operators and Young European Ambassadors joined the Head of the EU Delegation/EU Special Representative in BiH Ambassador Johann Sattler on 3 October for a wide-ranging discussion in Sarajevo’s new space for dialogue and exchange – Europe House.  This was the first of the ‘Europe House Talks’ – a format bringing together diverse stakeholders to discuss important topics with a focus on European values and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EU path.

 

The first Europe House Talks brought together young people from Banja Luka, Bijeljina, Brčko, Mostar, Sarajevo and Tuzla, who shared their views on a variety of relevant topics, including education, skills development, the European Year of Skills, culture and human rights. With young people present from across Bosnia and Herzegovina, it was emphasised by a number of participants that similar concepts and networking platforms should be supported in other major cities.

 

In addition to hosting Europe House Talks, Europe House will organise a variety of activities aimed at providing information to the public in Bosnia and Herzegovina about the country’s EU path and how they can benefit from programmes, projects, institutions and policies of the European Union.

The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) presents winners of the fourth Western Balkans online competition for the best digital solutions, BALKATHON 4.0

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The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) presents winners of the fourth Western Balkans online competition for the best digital solutions, BALKATHON 4.0:

 

Balkathon is RCC’s flagship initiative, financed by the European Union, providing an avenue for encouraging, developing and recognising unique digital ideas/solutions and products. RCC’s regional cooperation initiatives like Balkathon and similar ones (Butterfly Award, Youth Lab, Regional Network of Women Entrepreneurs, etc.) are our contribution to boosting our human capital and supporting the WB region moving forward, while also trying to retain our talented workforce within the region and improve their well-being.

 

The entire final Balkathon event was streamed live on the RCC’s You Tube Channel and FacebookPage.

Sarajevo hosts the sixth Western Balkans Digital Summit

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The sixth Western Balkans Digital Summit (WBDS), hosted by Bosnia and Herzegovina and supported by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), opened on 4 October in Sarajevo.  Participants of the Summit welcomed the EU-WB roaming charges reductions and commended the RCC’s role in this process.

 

WBDS was opened by Borjana Kristo, Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Besides RCC Secretary General the opening ceremony included Edin Forto, Minister of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Oliver Varhelyi, Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Roberto Viola, Director General of DG Connect, Stefan Schnorr, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (Berlin), Steliana Nedera, UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS, Istanbul Regional Hub Director, and Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

 

Western Balkans Digital Summit aims to enhance collaboration and innovation in the digital sphere among Western Balkan economies, bringing together industry leaders, political decision-makers, entrepreneurs, and technology enthusiasts. During these two days, participants will have the opportunity to engage in informative discussions, attend panel sessions, explore the latest technologies, and network with like-minded individuals from the region and beyond.