International Cooperation Overview 2008-2018

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION OVERVIEW 2008-2018

Over course of the past ten years, the Faculty of Political Science at University of Sarajevo undertook a major effort to achieve a higher level of internationalisation. Following the implementation of Bologna model of higher education since 2004, internationalization of the University of Sarajevo has been a key objective. The Faculty of Political Science has since positioned itself as a major destination for incoming students and staff. In 2017/18 academic year, the Faculty is host to one third of total number of incoming students to the University of Sarajevo.

Inclusion in the various international cooperation and mobility programmes such as Erasmus Mundus (JoinEU-SEE, SIGMA, Basileus, ERAWEB, Euroweb, Sunbeam), CEEPUS, Visegrad Foundation, Western Balkans partner institutions, Mevlana and Fulbright before 2015 and Erasmus+ after 2015 opened numerous opportunities for cooperation and mobility.

Beginning in 2013, the Faculty began a major internationalization drive. A new BA program in International Relations and Diplomacy with up to 40% of courses taught in English was launched. In 2014 the Faculty established International Cooperation Office as a specialized office to implement the internationalization strategy and adopted some general decisions that would make academic selection, nomination and recognition in the field of international mobility easier and more expedient. In 2017 a new MA program in International Relations and Diplomacy was launched. The program is scheduled to be fully taught in English. As a result, the number of visiting researchers and incoming students has been on the rise.

The Faculty also works to provide mobility opportunities for staff and students. In addition to agreements established at the level of the University of Sarajevo, the Faculty signed several faculty-level inter-institutional agreements with partner institutions in the framework of Erasmus+.

Inter-institutional agreements at the Faculty level have been signed with:

International mobility 2008-2018

Incoming students

Between 2008 and 2013, the Faculty hosted 17 incoming students. The Faculty was host to 12 students in 2013/2014, 9 in 2014/15 and 6 in 2015/16 academic year. Decreasing number of incoming students was caused by the transition from Erasmus Mundus to Erasmus+. Once the transition was completed, the Faculty hosted its record number of incoming students – 24 in 2016/17 academic year. In this academic year (2017/18), the Faculty has 11 international students in winter semester and is expecting at least 4 in the summer semester. The Faculty hosted a total of 74 students in the period of last ten years, most of them coming from Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Turkey, Austria, Germany, Spain, Croatia and Serbia.

Outgoing students

Between 2008 and 2013, the Faculty sent 11 students for one or two semesters abroad. In 2013/14 academic year, seven (7) students went for a semester abroad while only one student the following year (2014/15). Unfortunately, the Faculty did not record a single outgoing student mobility in 2015/16 mostly due lack of opportunities because of Erasmus Mundus – Erasmus+ transition. However, due to Erasmus+ coming into full effect and aided by promotional activities of the International Cooperation Office, the Faculty managed to send for a semester abroad 10 students in 2016/2017. In the current academic year (2017/18), the Faculty registered total of 15 outgoing student mobilities, record number so far. In total, the Faculty registered 39 outgoing student mobilities in the period of last ten years, their most favourite destinations being universities in Germany, Austria, Turkey, Italy, Spain, Czech Republic, Croatia and Poland.

Incoming staff

Between 2008 and 2015, the Faculty hosted only 1 staff member through international credit mobility programmes but during the same period hosted around 30 researchers through Fulbright, Western Balkans partner institutions, Visegrad Foundation and freemover arrangements. Researchers are usually not registered as incoming staff members and their period of stay and level of involvement vary in each specific case. In 2015/16, the Faculty hosted 3 staff members through Erasmus+ and 16 staff members in 2016/17 mostly through inter-institutional agreements at the Faculty level. In the current academic year (2017/18), the Faculty hosted 14 incoming staff mobilities . In total, 34 incoming staff mobilities and at least 40 researchers were registered in the period of last ten years, most of them coming from the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, USA, Poland, Turkey and other Western Balkan countries.

Outgoing staff

Between 2008 and 2015, the Faculty sent 3 staff members for exchange through international credit mobility programmes. In 2015/16 that number was 2 and the following year (2016/17) that number rose to 22 outgoing staff mobilities. In the current academic year (2017/18), the Faculty registered 25 outgoing mobilities, record number so far. In total, the Faculty registered 42 outgoing staff mobilities in the period of last ten years, their usual destinations being partner faculties and universities in the Netherlands, Lithuania, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Sweden, Spain and Portugal. Periodical, short-term exchanges in capacity building, joint master and research network programmes are not counted here.

 

International Mobility 2008-2018
Year Incoming students Outgoing students Incoming staff Outgoing staff
2008-2013 17 11 / 3
2013/14 12 7 / /
2014/15 9 1 1 /
2015/16 6 0 3 2
2016/17 24 10 16 22
2017/18 11 15 14 25
Total 72 39 34 42