Education and Culture Name Education and Culture THE COOPERATION BETWEEN ALBANIAN HEREs AND NATIONAL AUTHORITIES NEO/HERE meeting Brussels May, 10, 2016 Edit DIBRA, National coordinator Albanian NEO

A good relation HERE –NA? Albania has 7 (seven) HEREs: (5 from HEIs, out of them 1 from a regional HEI, 2 from the MES) Is there any good recipe ????

Good coincidences -2 HEREs held prominent positions in MES hierarchy; -2 HEREs members of the National Commission for Higher Education Reform (responsible for reform policy papers in HE); -One HERE member of the MES’ Task Force responsible to define the drivers of the future bylaw acts in compliance with the new Law Time of a deep reform in HE which culminated with the approval of the new Law in HE”;

Serious commitment of HEREs  The HEREs have driven the HE Reform through : -National workshop 1 on ‘Raising capacities of Albanian universities for internal governance” at the University of Elbasan, (June 2015); -National workshop 2 on ‘Financing Higher Education Institutions in the framework of the new Law of Higher Education” at the University of Korca, (November 2015) -The aims: to disseminate the draft of the new law in the regions, then the Law -to enhance discussion on current and hot topics in higher education reform among academics, experts, ministerial representatives, students; -Direct output: Recommendations papers addressed to the National authorities

HEREs struggle Each HERE has been struggling by all his means to have the Recommendations embedded in the new Law: Some main HERE’s contributions to the new law comprised: autonomy conditioned only to the performance, the achievement of an adequate level of management quality and accountability; the allocation of funds, based on indicators of quality of institutions for teaching, research, innovation etc; the right to seek private funding and the right to receive loans for their institutional and infrastructure development ; The HEI right to generate legitimate incomes from teaching activities, scientific research activities and by other economic incomes;

Other factors key to success -HERE’s chairperson played a pivotal role in ensuring the coordination of the HERE team meetings, activities and tasks, as well as holding the communication with other actors and partner institutions; - Regular meetings in MES at least twice a year in order to find synergy with national priorities for the plan of the activities, the national workshops themes, TAM etc -Support of the NEO: regular communication with HEREs (monthly meetings for monitoring ongoing activities, planning the upcoming events, organizational issues etc)

Other factors key to success - High level Ministry representatives (Minister/Deputy minister) attended all HERE national workshops (greetings speech, etc) -Media coverage ensured; -HEREs involved as members in the BFUG group, the National Quality Assurance Board, the National Excellence Board and the NQF working group; -HEREs active in other activities related to the Reform of Higher Education organized by the MES or other HE bodies in the country ; - HERE’s good will for additional activities other than planned (2 additional activities organized at university level by HEREs last year with their own resources)

Some does for a successful cooperation -An active and committed HERE chairperson; -At least one HERE from National Authorities; -Effective planning in synergy with national priorities, plans for reforms; -Regular meetings in the Ministry of Education; -High level NA representatives (Minister/Deputy minister) approached in HERE activities/events; -Active lobbying to embed recommendations into policy, law, by law acts;

Some does for a successful cooperation - HERE’s activities with tangible and public results (ex. Recommendations) - A strong regional dimension of the activities for broader impact; - Additional activities with additional sources; - Presence of HEREs in national bodies, reform boards, commissions; - Regular communication of NEO with HEREs;

A good relation HERE –NA? Was this presentation a good recipe???? 3.Madame Benoit says: 4.“a recipe is only a theme, which an intelligent cook can play each time with a variation."