| R&D Cooperation with the West Balkan Countries—A White Spot on the ERA Map? |
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by Klaus Schuch
Abstract
After the cessation of violent conflict in
the West Balkan region, the international community soon began to
support the reform of higher education systems in the region.
Modernization of the university structure and teaching was at the
center of many initiatives. The Austrian Development Cooperation was
among the forerunners in this respect. However, it was some time until
attention was directed toward the miserable situation of science and
technology (S&T) in the target region. The Ministerial Conference
in Thessaloniki in 2003 and the EU-Balkan Countries Action Plan for
S&T, which was adopted there, were major milestones in this
respect. The Southeast European ERA-NET, initiated by Austria and
supported by the European Commission, has been established to add to
the Action Plan by emphasizing a better synergy of the existing and
planned activities that single EU member states conduct with the West
Balkan countries on a bilateral basis.
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