Situated in the South-East of Europe, where the Danube meets the Balkans, on the crossroads between the East and the West, with its tempestuous past, archaeological sites, fortresses, monuments, natural rarities and luscious sceneries, Serbia opens its gates and soul of its people wide, making you feel welcome.

More than 2000 hours of sunshine and about 260 clear and slightly cloudy days every year, it belongs to the sunnier countries of Europe and offers outstanding opportunities to organise various tours and excursions. Travelling through its towns, villages, spas, over plains, hills and mountains, along its rivers and lakes and passing by its wine yards and orchards, one can feel the specific combination of ancient cultures and charming mixture of tradition and modernity.

Archeological sites, going as far back as early as pre-historic times, through Roman and Byzantine ages, fortresses and monasteries of the Serbian medieval architecture, the abundance of rivers and thermal waters, natural ambient complexes, bohemian towns, ethno villages and homesteads, as well as various cultural manifestations, offer a wide range of touristic opportunities. Relax and enjoy the company of professional tourist guides who will present and explain the best this country has to offer, and the beauty that leaves nobody indifferent.

Food is a matter of cult in Serbia, and hedonism is the way of life. Various local specialties, made of organic food, simply arise one’s passion with their flavor once they are tasted. Specialties are numerous and display the versatility of Serbian national cuisine. Each region is special by its choice and cultivation of food, preparation of dishes, ambiance and the way of offering them.

Serbia produces some 700 various types of wine. Grapes have been cultivated here for more than four millennia, and documents state that wine has been produced here since the 3rd century and the times of the Roman Emperor Probus, who himself planted high quality grapevine on the slopes of Fruska Gora mountain. In the times of the Serbian Emperor Dusan, when Serbia was at the peak of its power as largest country in Europe, 22 kilometers long ceramic wine-ducts were constructed.

Rakia is the traditional Serbian spirit and is part of the highest quality spirits in the world. There are more than 300 kinds of rakia, made of all sorts of fruit and forest products, with the addition of natural ingredients and flavors: berries, plants, herbs, nuts, honey etc. The best known rakia is made of plums, “sljivovica”. Well known are also spirits made of pear, apricot, grape, quince, honey etc. It is produced in the first Serbian patented installation, “rakia distillery”!

One of the strong points, if not the strongest, of the Belgrade’s tourist offer is its nightlife, gaining world class reputation over the past few years. This year, National Geographic magazine ranked Belgrade second in the world, ahead many of the long-established party capitals, such as Ibiza, Sao Paulo and New York.

Climate

Climate in Serbia is temperate continental, with a gradual transition between the four seasons of the year. Summers are warm, with temperatures up to 35° C and winters are cold and snowy, with temperature from – 10° C to 10° C.

Position

Serbia is located in the central part of the Balkan peninsula, in the South-Eastern part of Europe.

Population

Approximately 10 million people live in Serbia. The majority of the population are Serbs (66 per cent), and numerous among 37 nationalities which also live in Serbia are Albanians (17 per cent), Hungarians (3.5 per cent), followed by Romanians, Croats, Bulgarians and others. All citizens have equal rights and responsibilities and enjoy full national equality.

Capital

Serbia’s capital is Belgrade (original name: Beograd; White city), with a population of 1.6 million. Belgrade is the administrative, economic and cultural center of Serbia.

Language

The official language is Serbian and official alphabets are both Cyrillic and Latin. In the areas inhabited by national minorities, the languages and alphabets of the minorities are in official use, as provided by law.

Religion

The main religion in Serbia is Christian Orthodoxy, but there are also other religious communities: Islamic, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and other.

Time zone

Central European Time Zone (CET)

Credit cards

International credit cards Visa, Master Card, Diners, and American Express are accepted in most shops, airline companies, hotels and restaurants.

Banks & Post offices

On week days they are opened from 8.00 am to 7.00 pm. On Saturdays they are opened from 08.00 a.m. to 03.00 p.m. In Belgrade and other bigger cities in Serbia, some banks and post offices are opened on Sundays.

Shops

Alimentation shops are open daily from 6.00 am to 9.00 pm including Saturdays, while on Sundays they are open from 8.00 am to 2.00 pm. In every city or town, there are stores open 24 hours a day. Markets are open every day from 6.00 am to 5.00 pm.

Power supply

220 V, 50 Hz

Important phone numbers

Police: 192

Fire service: 193

Medical emergency: 194

EURASHE represents higher education institutions offering professionally oriented programmes, characterised by having strong links with the world of work. While in the past years EURASHE promoted different modes and the overall importance of cooperation between professional higher education institutions and the world of work, with the 26^th Annual Conference we wish to bring attention to the benefits this cooperation brings to all the sides.

Entitled ‘Centres of cooperation striving for excellence: Professional higher education and the world of work’, the Annual Conference will develop through 3 main themes seen as the biggest strengths of the cooperation built between PHE institutions and the world of work: employability, regional development and innovation. When talking about employability, we will address different indicators and discuss modes of cooperation and engagement that support graduates’ employability. Regional development and service to society proved to be one of the biggest strengths of our sector. We will showcase good practices where cooperation between institutions, the business sector and local and regional authorities made significant contribution to local/regional development. Finally, innovation is a key for development and when stakeholders work together, great things are achieved.

The 3 main themes will be built by key-note speakers, and further developed through working sessions focusing on management, educational aspects of cooperation and the role of different stakeholder groups. Additionally, a specific track during the 2-day event will give attention to the topics of high importance for Serbia and countries in the region. This way we wish to contribute to the further development of, and to professional higher education, in the Western Balkans.

We invite you to join participants coming from institutional management, head of programmes, teaching staff, researchers, quality assurance managers and agencies, business, public agents and more. The conference full of knowledge, information and good practices, offering a high level of networking opportunities will for sure be an inspiring experience for each of the participants.

We look forward to welcoming you in Belgrade!

Day 0 – Wednesday 20 April 2016

16.00 – 18.00     EURASHE 2016 General Assembly

Venue: The Palace of Serbia (east wing), Bulevar Mihajla Pupina 2, New Belgrade, Belgrade

Day 1 – Thursday 21 April 2016

Venue: The Palace of Serbia (main entrance), Bulevar Mihajla Pupina 2, New Belgrade, Belgrade

9.30 – Registrations

10.30 – Opening of the 26th EURASHE Annual Conference

Chair: Johan Cloet, Secretary General of EURASHE, Belgium

Srđan Verbić, Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia, Serbia

Tanja Miščević, Head of the negotiating team for the Accession of the Republic of Serbia to the European Union, Serbia

Branko Savić, President of the Conference of Academies for Applied Studies in Serbia (CAASS), Serbia

Stéphane Lauwick, President of EURASHE, France

11.45 – Keynote speech

Professional higher education – shaping Europe’s potential, Jens Nymand Christensen, Deputy Director-General at the Education and Culture, Directorate-General (EAC) of the European Commission

12.30 – Lunch

14.00 – Track 1 – EMPLOYABILITY

Chair: Michal Karpíšek, Vice-President of EURASHE, Czech Republic

Keynote speech: Developing and Improving Employability – Prospects of Successfully Linking Theory and Practice in Academic Study Programs, Michael Nagel, Head of Department of International Business at Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University, Germany

Introduction to the parallel working sessions

14.45 – Coffee break

15.15 – Parallel working sessions

Graduate employability – some critical success factors, Terry Dray, Director Graduate Advancement and Employer Engagement, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom

Employability of Business students to Start-Ups, Juha Saukkonen, Senior Lecturer at JAMK University of Applied Sciences, Finland

Work Based Learning Partnerships between a Higher Education Institute and an External organisation, Oran Doherty, Letterkenny Institute of Technology (LYIT)

16.45 – Panel discussion on good practices on cooperation between higher education institutions and the world of work

Chair: Michal Karpíšek, Vice-President of EURASHE, Czech Republic

Iva Biondić, Director Business Development at VERN Group, Croatia

Terry Dray, Director Graduate Advancement and Employer Engagement, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom

Danutė Rasimavičienė, Dean, Faculty of Business Management, Vilniaus Kolegija/University of Applied Sciences, Lithuania

Juha Saukkonen, Senior Lecturer at JAMK University of Applied Sciences, Finland

17.30 – End of day 1

19.30 – Conference welcome reception

Restaurant Grafičar, Vase Pelagića 31, Belgrade

Day 2 – Friday 22 April 2016

9.15 – Track 2 – REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Chair: Dejan Blagojević, Director, College of Applied Technical Sciences Niš, Serbia

Keynote speech: The role of universities of applied science in stimulating regional development in a globalising knowledge economy, Paul Benneworth, Senior Researcher, Center for Higher Education Policy Studies at the University of Twente, Netherlands

Introduction to the parallel working sessions

10.00 – Coffee break

10.15 – Parallel working sessions

Higher Education and Enterprise working together for Regional Development, Irene Sheridan, Head of CIT Extended Campus, Cork Institute of Technology, Ireland

Wicked Constellations or Promising Perspectives? Universities of Applied Sciences and regional cooperation in Austria, Benedikt Speer, Professor and Head of Degree Program Public Management, Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, Austria

Not every student has to become an entrepreneur, but every student has to become more entrepreneurial, Filip Burgelman, Entrepreneurship education architect, Thomas More University College, Belgium

Prednosti regionalne saradnje na Zapadnom Balkanu/Benefits of regional cooperation in the Western Balkans (working session in Serbian), Ružica Stanković, former President of the Conference of Academies for Applied Studies in Serbia (CAASS), Serbia, and Alicia-Leonor Sauli-Miklavčič, College Headmaster at Tehniški šolski center Maribor, Slovenia

11.45 – Networking/information sessions

Good practices Bazaar: interactive networking event exchanging good practices and presenting projects

EURASHE Bazaar: information session on EURASHE activities for participants new to the organisation

12.30 – Lunch

14.00 – Track 3 – INNOVATION

Chair: Marc Vandewalle, Secretary-General of VLHORA, Belgium

Keynote speech: Nature and nurture of the relationships between HEIs and business in Europe, Victoria Galán-Muros, Director in the University-Industry Innovation Network (UIIN), Spain

Introduction to the parallel working sessions

14.45 – Coffee break

15.00 – Parallel working sessions

Beyond the research evaluation: challenges of assessing the knowledge exchange and innovation on national and institutional level, Karel Šima, Senior researcher and consultant, Centre for Higher Education Studies Prague, Czech Republic

Boosting creativity – Interactive ideation session, Danutė Rasimavičienė, Dean, Faculty of Business Management, Vilniaus Kolegija/University of Applied Sciences, Lithuania

HEInnovate – Self-assessment tool and methodology, Rebecca Allinson, Director, Zsuzsa Javorka, Senior Consultant, at Technopolis, United Kingdom

Inovacije kao deo nove misije visokog obrazovanja/Inovation as a part of the new mission of higher education (working session in Serbian), Dejan Blagojević, Director, College of Applied Technical Sciences Niš, Serbia, and Tijana Isoski, Board member, European Students’ Union, Serbia

16.30 – Panel discussion on excellence in cooperation between professional higher education and the world of work

Chair: Johan Cloet, Secretary-General of EURASHE, Belgium

Stéphane Lauwick, President of EURASHE, France

Branko Savić, President of the Conference of Academies for Applied Studies in Serbia (CAASS), Serbia

Irene Sheridan, Head of CIT Extended Campus, Cork Institute of Technology (CIT), Ireland

Tijana Isoski, Board member, European Students’ Union (ESU), Serbia

Jelena Bulatović, Executive Director of the Serbian Association of Managers (SAM), Serbia

17.15 – Closing of the Conference

19.30 – Gala dinner

Venue: Azzaro Red Club, Bulrvar M. Milankovića 136/A, 11070 New Belgrade

Day 3 – Saturday 23 April 2016

Social programme

Following the end of the conference, EURASHE traditionally organises a 1-day excursion to enjoy the beauties of Serbia and its culture, heritage and cuisine. We will start by visiting the Oplenac Hill and its famous Mausoleum of the Serbian and Yugoslav Royal House of Karađorđević. We will continue our visit to the vinery Aleksandrovic for vine and rakija tasting and finish the tour enjoying traditional Serbian food and drinks.

In case of interest, pleae make sure to register for the social programme when registering online for the conference.

For participants departing from Belgrade on Saturday in the afternoon, a 3-hour guided tour ‘Nikola Tesla’s Belgrade’ through the city centre will be organised in the morning. More information on this tour will be provided prior to the event per email to all registered participants, and registration for the tour will be required on the spot during the first day of the conference.

Conference location

The conference will take place at Palata Srbije, located at Bulevar Mihajla Pupina 2, Belgrade, Serbia. It is shown in yellow on the map.

Accommodation

Participants of 26th EURASHE Annual Conference can benefit from a reduced rated when arranging their accommodation at one of the following suggested hotels, shown in red on the map:

1. Crown Plaza Belgrade 4*, website, Crown Plaza is the main hotel of the conference. It is located 2 km away from the conference venue, with approximately 20 min walking distance. The price for single occupancy is EUR 72 and for double EUR 82 per night. Use the booking form to reserve your accommodation.
2. Falkensteiner Hotel Belgrade 4*, website, Falkensteiner Hotel is the closest one to the conference venue, being only 1.3 km away. The price for both single and double occupancy is EUR 110 per night. Use the booking form to reserve your accommodation.
3. Hyatt Regency Belgrade 5*, website, For participants looking for the highest standards, we propose Hyatt Regency Hotel. Being 2.2 km away from the venue, it is still within the walking distance. Price for single occupancy is EUR 116 and EUR 127 for double occupancy per night. Use the booking form to reserve your accommodation.
4. Hotel Constantine The Great 4*, website, Hotel Constantine the Great is suggested to those participants who prefer to stay in the centre of the city, on a walking distance from the major sights of Belgrade. It is as well conveniently connected with a direct tram line to the conference venue. Single occupancy costs EUR 70 and double EUR 80 per night. To benefit from a reduced rate, use the promotional code “EURASHE2016” when booking your stay on the hotel’s website.
5. Envoy Hotel 4*, website, Envoy Hotel is located in the very heart of Belgrade, on the main city promenade. Prices are set at EUR 90 for single occupancy and EUR 105 for double per night. Use the booking form to reserve your accommodation.

Map

View 26th Annual Conference – Belgrade 2016 in Google Maps here.

Tourist information

For more information on Belgrade in particular, visit the website of the Tourist Organisation of Belgrade, and for more information on Serbia in general, visit the website of the National Tourism Organisation of Serbia.

Visa requirements

Citizens of European Union and EFTA countries, as well as other European countries including Belarus, Russia and Ukraine do not require visa for entering the Republic of Serbia. Before travelling to the conference, we kindly ask you to inform yourself of this issue, consulting your national authorities and/or Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs here.

Organisers

European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE) - EURASHE is the European Association of Institutions in Higher Education that offer professionally orientated programmes and are engaged in applied research within the Bologna cycles. EURASHE represents universities of applied sciences... Read more

Conference of Academies of Applied Studies Serbia (CAASS) - КОНФЕРЕНЦИЈА АКАДЕМИЈА СТРУКОВНИХ СТУДИЈА СРБИЈЕ (KASSS) The Conference of academies for applied studies in Serbia (CAASS), established on the basis of the Law on Higher Education, is an umbrella association... Read more

Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development (MoESTD) (Serbia) - The Ministry of Education and Science carries out public administration activities related to: the system, development and promotion of scientific and research activities for the purposes of scientific, technological and... Read more

Foundation Foedus Srbija - Foundation Foedus Srbija is a foundation established in February 2016 whose ambition is that by gathering credible companies and individuals and connecting them in selected fields of work, help the... Read more

Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia - The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia represents the interests of the Serbian economy, and is a supporting partner in business development. The tradition of Serbian Chamber of Commerce... Read more

Registration fee

The registration fee includes attendance at the conference, all materials (documentation and welcome package), coffee breaks, lunches, the welcome reception and gala dinner for participants. The fee does not cover travel and accommodation expenses.

The registration fees are set as follows:

• Regular participants (non-members of EURASHE): EUR 420
• Members of EURASHE: EUR 300
• Participants from Serbia & the region: RSD 20,000 / EUR 160 (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Macedonia (FYROM), Montenegro)
• Social programme: EUR 50

The fees for a companion (spouse/partner only) are set as follows:

• Welcome reception: EUR 20
• Gala dinner: EUR 35
• Social programme: EUR 50

There is a possibility to pay your fee in cash on the spot. Should you wish to do so, an administrative fee of EUR 20 may be charged in addition to your registration fee.

Cancellation

Cancellations must be sent in writing to eurashe@eurashe.eu.

Cancellations received prior to 15 March 2016 will be reimbursed fully, while cancellations received between 16 and 29 March 2016 will be reimbursed in the amount of 50% of the participation fee. Participants who cancel after 29 March 2016 or do not attend the conference will be liable to pay the entire registration fee.

Substitutes may be accepted at any time, provided that the secretariat is informed of the change.

Confirmation

The registration will be confirmed by an email. However, please note that your registration will be completed and considered final only when your payment has been received.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the secretariat at eurashe@eurashe.eu.

•  2016 26th Annual Conference: Flyer (0.2 MB)
•  2016 26th Annual Conference: Portfolio (6.7 MB)
•  Developing and Improving Employability: Prospects of Successfully Linking Theory and Practice in Academic Study Programs (2.0 MB)
•  European University-Business Cooperation: Collaborating to innovate and innovating to collaborate (2016) (2.7 MB)
•  HEInnovate: A self-assessment tool for higher education institutions (HEIs) wishing to explore their entrepreneurial and innovative potential (1.7 MB)
•  Higher Education and Entreprise: Working together for Regional Development (1.8 MB)
•  What Makes Students Employable for Start-Ups? (2.3 MB)