1. K ICK OFF MEETING 30 TH -31 ST JANUARY 2014 UNIVERSITY OF NIŠ WWW. FUSE. NI. AC. RS PROJECT PRESENTATION Prof. Dr BILJANA MIŠIĆ ILIĆ University of Niš, Serbia bmisicilic@gmail.com This project has been funded with the support from the European Commission

2. FUSE B ASIC I NFORMATION Contract number 544006-TEMPUS-1-2013-1-RA-TEMPUS-SMGR Project acronymFUSE Project nameFostering University Support Services and Procedures for Full Participation in the European Higher Education Area Project duration1 st December 2013 - 30 th November 2016 ProgrammeTEMPUS IV – 6 th Call for Proposals Structural Measures, Governance Reform Total cost726.514,66 € EC funding653.861,62 € CoordinatorUniversity of Niš, Serbia Univerzitetski trg 2, 18000 Niš, Serbia Project CoordinatorProf. Dr Biljana Mišić Ilić Project websitewww.fuse.ni.ac.rs

3. FUSE Fostering University Support Services and Procedures for Full Participation in the European Higher Education Area “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” William Butler Yeats

4. FUSE Consortium  University of Niš  University of Belgrade  University of Novi Sad  University of Kragujevac  State University of Novi Pazar  College of Tourism, Belgrade  Ministry of E, S & TD, Serbia  CONUS, Serbia  SCONUS, Serbia  Middlesex University, UK  University of Malaga, Spain  Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland  Otto-Friedrich-University Bamberg, Germany  Masaryk University, Czech Republic MU UMA UNIBA MUNI UJ UNS BU CSU SCSU UNIKG SUNP UNI COT MESTD

5. T EMPUS PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES, THEMES AND PRIORITIES ADDRESSED National priorities for Serbia in the field Structural Measures/ Governance Reform: University management and student services and Development of international relations FUSE aims to contribute to Tempus Specific Objectives by: Promoting the reform and modernisation of HE in Serbia and enhancing its quality and relevance Building the capacity of HEIs for international cooperation and permanent modernization Enhancing networking among HEIs across Serbia, the region and EU member states Ultimately, enhancing mutual understanding between peoples and countries of the EU and Serbia

6. FUSE OBJECTIVES General objective: Develop capacity of Serbian HEIs to establish and improve support services and procedures dealing with international cooperation and mobility in line with advanced EU practices Specific objectives: Provide legal and administrative conditions and working protocols Establish and improve integrated university support services for academic mobility and international cooperation Build capacities of teaching and non-teaching staff for full participation in EHEA

7. FUSE MAIN FOCUS For the full participation of Serbian Higher Education Institutions in the European Higher Education Area in EHEA, internationalization standards, policies, practices and support services at faculty and university level need to be changed, developed, improved and maintained, in a nationally and institutionally coordinated, organized and efficient manner. In line with The Strategy of Education in the Republic of Serbia by 2020: ’’to formulate and carry out very specific policies, actions, and measures that increase international visibility, competitiveness and recognizability of Serbian higher education, and ultimately better positioning of Serbian universities at international ranking lists’’

8. FUSE RATIONALE Declarative commitment of The Strategy of Education in the Republic of Serbia by 2020 and HEIs’ documents to a more intensive internationalization. Identified hindrances: insufficient number of courses/study programmes in foreign languages, insufficient visibility and attractiveness of Serbian HEIs, insufficient mobility, underdeveloped or no support services at faculties, unbalanced internationalization dimension at various HEIs, inadequate mobility mapping mechanisms for capacity building and networking, lack of foreign language skills for staff, lack of internalization policies and practices to include other HEIs such as colleges, etc. lack of more binding recommendations and legal and administrative framework regulating the organization and implementation of internationalization activities (standardized elements, working protocols, administrative manuals, info guides, standardized documents for foreign exchange and degree students, etc).

9. FUSE GOALS To develop/improve administrative guidelines, working protocols and manuals and adopt legal documents and standards related to support services and procedures dealing with international cooperation and mobility To improve support services for international mobility by improving international visibility of Serbian HEIs improving/establishing mobility services designing and providing more and better information materials for foreign students To train members of teaching, non-teaching staff and student bodies for international academic cooperation To develop cooperation networks for various stakeholders in this process To create and maintain various mechanisms for information exchange (databases, etc.) for staff

10. FUSE WORKPACKAGES DEV WP1: Developing administrative and legal conditions for improved university support services and procedures DEV WP2: Fostering various support services (academic mobility support, IT support, marketing and information activities) DEV WP3: Capacity building of the teaching and non- teaching staff for better participation in EHEA DEV WP4: Providing language support for full participation in EHEA DISS WP 5: Dissemination QPLN WP 6: Quality Plan EXP WP7: Exploitation MNGT WP8: Management

11. FUSE WP CO-ORDINATION DEVELOPMENT WP1 UNIKG WP2 UNS WP3 BU WP4 UNI WP8 MNGT UNI WP5 DISS UNI WP5 QPLN MU WP6 EXP UNI

12. FUSE MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE Project Consortium Project Consortium (14 partners) ↔ Contact Persons Coordinator Institution UNI ↔Project Coordinator Consortium Management Team (CMT): one representative from each partner institution, 14 Core Team (CT): one representative from each Serbian partner university, 5 Quality Assurance Group: 4 members (2 EU partners, 2 Serbian partners) Workpackage Coordinators: representatives from UNI, UNIKG, UNS, BU, MU Task Leaders: from each institution involved in a particular WP

13. FUSE WORKPLAN WP Type Deliverabl e / Activity Ref. N° Activities (as indicated in the LFM) Dura- tion (weeks) Month 123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536 DEV1.1 Analysing the current situation in Serbia regarding institutional legislative and administrative framework 7 xxxxxxx DEV1.2 Reviewing the models of EU partners’ relevant legal and administrative framework 23 xo DEV1.3 Analysing target areas and the ways of their improvement; developing and adopting action plans and procedures for enhancing information channels among all stakeholders 12 xxxxxxo DEV1.4 Developing and adopting university protocols and manuals for the staff dealing with international students and affairs 10 xxo xxxxxxxxxxxx xx DEV1.5 Developing and adopting standardized documents to be issued to foreign students 5 xxxxxxxxxxx DEV2.1 Analysing current practices in academic mobility services, and establishing / enhancing them 30 xxo xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx DEV2.2 Updating university / faculty websites to better present institutional opportunities 29 xxoxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xx DEV2.3 Upgrading technical equipment and support at universities 19 xxxxxxxxxxxxx DEV2.4 Forming and updating databases of available courses and programs in foreign languages; creating tailor-made materials (guides, booklets) for foreign students and increasing their visibility 52 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx DEV2.5 Intensifying institutional advertising activities 7 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx DEV3.1 Making study visits to EU partners 7 xo DEV3.2 Training in Serbia for knowledge, skills and procedures at all institutional levels 15 xxxoxxxxxxx xxxxxxx DEV3.3 Developing and updating foreign student hosting networks, model working protocols and databases of student hosts 24 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx DEV3.4 Introducing mapping mobility mechanisms at HEIs in Serbia; developing and updating databases of academic contact persons for foreign students 38 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx DEV4.1 Establishing cooperation networks among all language professionals at partner Serbian universities so as to promote, enhance and organize various language support services 19 xxxxxxxxxx DEV4.2 Developing and adopting guidelines for providing language support to teaching staff (translation services and classes) 27 xxxxxxx DEV4.3 Developing model English-for-specific-purposes courses for university administrative staff 23 xxxxxxxxx DEV4.4 Developing guidelines for organizing language support (Serbian classes) for foreign students coming to Serbian universities 14 xoxxxxxxxx DISS5.1 Creating, maintaining and regular updating of the project web-site 10xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx DISS5.2 Preparing annual joint reports on project achievements 13 xoxxxxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx x DISS5.3 Designing and distributing project promotional materials 15 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx DISS5.4 Giving information about the project at various dissemination gatherings 18 xoxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx QPLN6.1 Establishing internal work quality standards and procedures, esatblishing Quality Assurance Group to monitor project performance 6xxox x QPLN6.2 WP coordinators and the Core Group preparing quality reports; the QAG’s evaluating the reports 27 xxoxxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx QPLN6.3Organizing interproject coaching2 xxxxx QPLN6.4 Arranging and establishing independent monitoring evaluations by expert(s) (mid-term and end) xo xxxxxxxxxxx EXP7.1Implementing the project results that are incorporated into legal documents4 xxxxxxxxxxxxx EXP7.2 Establishing mechanisms for keeping project outputs (databases, portals, networks etc.) regularly maintained / updated / sustainable 9 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx EXP7.3 Organizing seminars for non-partner institutions for the multiplier effect 11 xxxxxxxxxxx MNGT8.1 Organizing kick-off project meeting, setting up project management bodies, signing partnership agreement 10xo MNGT8.2 Adopting relevant documents and passing relevant decisions passed at regular meetings of the project management bodies and at coordination meetings 40 xxxxo xxx xxx xxxx xxxxxx xxxx xx MNGT8.3 Doing regular financial administration and bookkeeping 54xxxxxxoxxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx MNGT8.4 Doing financial auditing (mid-term and end) 1 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx MNGT8.5 Doing day-to-day coordination activities 120xoxxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxx

14. I MPACT FUSE will contribute to the stated interest and commitment of the Serbian government to increase and focus efforts for full participation of Serbian Higher Education Institutions in the European Higher Education Area by: Establishing/developing/improving the capacities of partner institutions in setting the national action plan and guidelines, university standardized documents, various information and support mechanisms and databases, and capacity and service-improving networks of stakeholders Providing a framework and mutual assistance for five state universities for upgrading the mobility services and procedures at individual faculties

15. I MPACT, CTD. FUSE will also contribute by: Raising awareness and understanding of the project target area policies and practices at the national and institutional level Transferring the established know-how and models to HE colleges and other HEIs in Serbia Promoting a more internationally-oriented culture within the academic community

16. FUSE M ONTH 1-2 What have we done from 1 st Dec 2013 till 31 st Jan 2014? Organized the kick-off meeting Received GA, with the reduced budget annex (January 13th 2014, the Rector has signed it but EACEA has not countersigned it yet)-LATE! In the process of modifying the budget accordingly In the process of drafting PAs and Manual for Contractual and Financial Management Created project visual identity, created FUSE website (www.fuse.ni.ac.rs), started creating a management and collaboration platform

17. FUSE TODAY What do we hope to have accomplished during the kickoff meeting? o WP coordinators have analyzed their WPs and proposed action plans We have established project management bodies We have discussed WPs and set up action plans for the first few upcoming activities We have reached understanding regarding the procedures and tasks We’ve got to know each other and had some fun

18. EXCELLENCE EXCELLENCE IS NOT A SKILL, IT IS AN ATTITUDE