12/01/2023 | News

These are the candidates for the election of the Head of the WBAA Team Higher Education

WBAA head HE candidates

We are pleased to announce that we have received four applications for the open position of Head of the WBAA Team Higher Education Reform & Equal access to higher education. The members of this team now have one week to find out about their candidates before the election takes place in the Online Community from 19 to 25 January.

Here you can find more information about the candidates and their motivation to become Head of the WBAA Team Higher Education.

WBAA head HE Altin Guberi 169x300

Altin Guberi

Altin is member of the Chapter Albania and WBAA member since August 2021.

What is your motivation to apply for this position?

I am applying for this role as I find it a great opportunity for networking opportunities and for learning new things. Building new relationships and creating new contacts is definitely important in terms of personal and professional growth and development. The relationships with the other participants would help me to gain new knowledge and to have meaningful conversations with them.

What plans or ideas do you have for the WBAA Team Higher Education?

The WBAA Higher Education plan seeks to provide all students with valuable information and resources, including: access to the WBAA programme Facebook and Twitter, the ability to join a discussion group, and the opportunity to become involved in or begin a project which will benefit their own community or profession.

What skills and qualities can you bring to this position?

Team working and adaptability

WBAA head HE Fatjona Kamberi 169x300

Fatjona Kamberi

Fatonja is member of the Chapter Albania and WBAA member since December 2021.

What is your motivation to apply for this position?

I had the opportunity to experience many different aspects of higher education quality during these years while working as a lecturer. The topics related to higher education have thus been the main focus of my most recent research. As someone who is passionate about the value of quality in higher education, I take an active role in ensuring the quality of teaching, learning, and research. I view myself as a strong worker with a positive outlook and energy, and I inspire my students and coworkers to put in their best efforts and achieve success. I have taken part in a variety of training sessions for learning outcomes-based curricula, quality management in higher education, and competency frameworks. I am very passionate about research and value excellence in both teaching and research because I think it encourages participation and makes academics and students more involved in creating a high-quality educational system.

What plans or ideas do you have for the WBAA Team Higher Education?

To encourage innovation, science, and innovative behaviors among the team.

What skills and qualities can you bring to this position?

Communication, engagement, organisation, education, ethics, culture, diversity, and balance.

WBAA head HE Lazar Živanić 169x300

Lazar Zivanic

Lazar is member of the Chapter Serbia and WBAA member since February 2022.

What is your motivation to apply for this position?

My motivation comes from that I want to help the development of the higher education in the WB6 and I think now is the perfect time for real action from my side. I am near to finish my MA abroad with thesis talks about internationalisation of higher education and more particularly about the Erasmus project. Till this moment, I think that I obtained knowledge that would be a great asset to the WBAA community.

What plans or ideas do you have for the WBAA Team Higher Education?

My plans and ideas are still shaping in my head. One idea is organising meetings with students from WB6 and speak about their problems and ideas. I would advocate for full implementation of Bologna Process, because some countries still did not adapt all the objectives of the process or do not have in their plans for higher education crystalised aims which get in line with one form Bologna Process. Also on my agenda would be equality and equity in higher education and student mobility. I would like to do a seeking and expenditure of the members of WBAA by contacting "successful" academia all over world for giving their perception of higher education in WB6.

What skills and qualities can you bring to this position?

I am a team player, responsible, meeting deadline, systematic and pragmatic. I am dedicated and ready to work hard on ideas and projects which I find crucial. I have a good knowledge about higher education and I am ready to learn more about it. I see myself as European and that will put all economies of WB6 in the same position in my view.

WBAA head HE Shukrije Rama 169x300

Shukrije Rama

Shukrije is member of the Chapter Kosovo* and WBAA member since 2020.

What is your motivation to apply for this position?

20 years of experience in higher education at the world level makes me feel comfortable to take responsibility to align higher education systems in the WB6, to explore the status quo and opportunities for different reform initiatives, e.g., adapting the curriculum to labor market requirements, to lobby for the alignment of higher education systems in the WB6 with EU standards and the strategic frameworks of the EU, the UN, and the Council of Europe and finally to advocate for closer cooperation between higher education institutions in the Western Balkans.

What plans or ideas do you have for the WBAA Team Higher Education?

My plans will strive in student rights in WB6: benefits, duties, tasks and responsibilities of students in the region; mapping needs and addressing specific issues through advocacy and publicity campaigns; engaging WBAA members, e.g., making awareness raising videos; advocating for the rights of students who seek a balance between education and work. Also my plans will strive in social inclusion in higher education: focusing on educational equity, equal opportunities for and inclusion of marginalised groups and rights of underprivileged groups in terms of their access to quality education; promotion of the successful social inclusion component of the Erasmus+ Programme.

What skills and qualities can you bring to this position?

Skills in: Higher Eduation critical thinking, research, communication, organisation, leadership, teamwork, time management, technological skills, and conflict resolution.

The promotion of the candidates will run until 18 January and the elections will take place from 19 to 25 January in the Online Community. Please note that you must be a member of the Higher Education Team to cast your vote in the election. There is a group for the Higher Education Team that you should join if you want to become a member of the team and cast your vote in the election. Please log into the Online Community and submit a join request to the following group: https://community.western-balkans-alumni.eu/page/view-group-profile?id=69 .

More information about the position and the WBAA Team can be found here.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact service@western-balkans-alumni.eu.

Your WBAA team

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

Germany, Cologne, 12 January 2023

Laura Jarmatz on behalf of the Service Provider