Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)

Education that can sustain digital and green transition and produces what the job market needs should be the education of the future for the #WesternBalkans and #SouthEastEurope. We organised the regional conference on higher education internationalisation in the Western Balkans and #SEE last week in #Skopje, together with the The World Bank Group, under the patronage of the Ministry of Education and Science of North Macedonia. Next up 👉🏻 preparation of draft regional policy note and roadmap on the internationalisation of higher education in the region. Because a connected region starts with connected education. #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺

The conference “Bridging Futures: Internationalisation of Higher Education in the Western Balkans and Southeast Europe”, co-organised by the RCC, the The World Bank Group, and the Ministry of Education and Science of North Macedonia, concluded in #Skopje today with a call for stronger regional coordination to boost quality, mobility, and competitiveness. Conference discussions highlighted persistent challenges in attracting and retaining talent, particularly from the diaspora, pointing to the need for systemic, cross-sector approaches involving education, labour, and migration policies. Closing the event, RCC Deputy Secretary General Dr. Umut Ergezer underlined that decisions on education, skills, and migration will directly shape the region’s economic and social future and said “Internationalisation goes beyond education, it is about talent, labour markets, and quality of life. The RCC will continue to support implementation and coordination, ensuring that today’s discussions translate into concrete results” #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺

RCC Secretary General Amer Kapetanovic met with First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for European Affairs, Bekim Sali today in #Skopje ⏭️ the regional cooperation and EU integration, with focus on economic growth, connectivity, and mobility as some of the topics of the meeting. Regionally owned frameworks such as the #CommonRegionalMarket, as part of the EU Growth Plan, and the #GreenAgenda for the WesternBalkans remain the region’s most credible pathway toward the EU. #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺

RCC Secretary General Amer Kapetanovic met with Antonio Miloshoski, Vice President of the Parliament Assembly of North Macedonia today in #Skopje ⏭️ the two discussed strengthening regional parliamentary dialogue, advancing cooperation on EU integration, and enhancing the effectiveness of existing inter-parliamentary platforms. Parliaments are more than just observers of regional cooperation and the EU integration process, they are the key to driving the processes forward. #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺 

Today we launched a regional conference on higher education internationalisation in the #WesternBalkans and #SouthEastEurope in #Skopje, together with the The World Bank Group, under the patronage of the Ministry of Education and Science of North Macedonia. “Internationalisation of education is not issue of branding, prestige exercise, or sending more students abroad. It is about quality, mobility, adaptability, research capacity, and opportunity. The real risk for our region is the gap between educational aspiration and available opportunity. A region that produces diplomas without pathways is producing frustration at scale. And that frustration does not remain private, since 68% of our youth say they would consider leaving the region the warning signal is already visible.” said RCC Secretary General Amer Kapetanovic during his opening address. Alongside RCC SG, the conference was opened by the Minister of Education and Science of North Macedonia, Vesna Janevska and Xiaoqing Yu, World Bank Division Director for the Western Balkans. This conference will serve as a base for preparation of a draft regional policy note and roadmap on the internationalisation of higher education, consolidating good practices and priority actions to guide coordinated regional collaboration. Read more 👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/d6tS6ZS8 #poweredbyRCC #🇪🇺 #SEE2030 

19th Winter School of Diplomacy, organised by the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute with RCC & Hanns Seidel Foundation this week in Sandanski ⏭️ bringing together diplomats from SEE, the Black Sea & EU for discussions on regional security, geopolitics, multilateral cooperation & crisis diplomacy, including presentations of #RCC priorities such as #SEE2030 Strategy & #SecuriMeter public survey by the RCC Head of Political Department Pavle Jankovic. #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺

Talent doesn't have to choose between opportunity and home ⏭️ and the education could be the answer. This week, policymakers, academic leaders, and international partners gather in #Skopje for Bridging Futures 👉🏻 a regional conference on the internationalisation of higher education in the Western Balkans and #SouthEastEurope, co-organised by the RCC and The World Bank, under the patronage of the Ministry of Education and Science of North Macedonia. Read more 👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/dRZYd7a9 #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺  #SEE2030 

RCC Secretary General Amer Kapetanovic hosted the Stadt Leipzig’s Lord Mayor Burkhard Jung today at RCC headquarters in #Sarajevo ⏭️ the two explored practical municipal cooperation on green transition, smart mobility, and the support of regional agendas such as the #GreenAgenda for the #WesternBalkans to the local implementation of sustainable development goals. Greener local communities can be the building-blocks of sustainable development for our region. #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺

Eid Mubarak to all that observe! Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful Eid filled with peace, warmth, and happiness. ✨ #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺

RCC Secretary General Amer Kapetanovic hosted the European Training Foundation Director Dr. Pilvi Torsti at RCC headquarters in #Sarajevo today where the two signed Memorandum of Understanding between the organisations setting out a collaboration framework. Together, RCC and ETF stay committed to help equip citizens of the #SouthEastEurope with the skills they need for tomorrow's labour market, improvement of human capital development, boost employment participation, and drive education and training reforms that leave no one behind. #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺 #WesternBalkansSix