The Internationalization Strategy is an integral part of the Strategic Development Plan of the Higher School of Communications and defines the directions of development of our activities in the regional, European and global educational space.
The Internationalization strategy specifically defines and focuses our activities on Erasmus+ programs as well as other forms of cooperation in the European educational area, on the principles of the Bologna Declaration and the standards prescribed by it.
With the internationalization strategy, we establish the resource and time frame and activities that encourage all components of the Erasmus+ program mobility of incoming and outgoing students, mobility of teaching and non-teaching staff, as well as cooperation programs between higher education institutions in Europe and globally.
Introduction
Internationalization at the Higher School of Communications (here in after: the School) was seen as a permanent and dynamic process to strengthen international cooperation of the School, mobility in education, strengthening cooperation in the flow of ideas, programs and good practices, as well as strengthening cooperation with the world. and employment. The school is continuously working on modernizing its programs, mechanisms for ensuring the quality of the teaching process and creating competitive staff adapted to academic exchange and the future European and global labor market, which is facing numerous changes in order to create economic progress and sustainable growth.
The school sets as a strategic goal by 2027 the achievement of indicators of 10% of total outgoing mobility (teachers and students) and 5% of incoming mobility, depending on the funds received from the EU mobility program and the School’s own funds.
In order to achieve a high level of transparency and quality of education through mobility, the School will continuously work on removing administrative barriers and ensuring the recognition of mobility periods through various tools (recognition of ECTS credits, registration of recognized ECTS credits and mobility periods in addition to diplomas, European Qualifications Framework).
The school started the process of internationalization from the very beginning in 2017 by initiating the process of concluding the first inter-institutional agreements with similar higher education institutions in the region of the Western Balkans. This process was further encouraged and dynamized, but it also gained its standards and quality elements through the process of applying for and obtaining the ECHE Charter of the Erasmus + program in 2019. Within the Erasmus + program, the School received the ECHE Charter, which allows students in addition to mobility to study stays and mobility for the purpose of professional practice, and the School received the ECHE Charter in the first competition deadline held in Serbia in 2019.
In addition to academic study programs, the School has been developing and implementing lifelong learning programs since the beginning of its work, which are implemented through trainings, courses and seminars intended for students as well as all interested persons and the general public. Among these lifelong learning programs are programs for professional development and career advancement of employees in education. These programs are accredited by the competent educational institutions of the Republic of Serbia.
Apart from students from the Republic of Serbia, study programs are also open to students from all other countries, nations and nationalities, thus contributing to internationalization and cross-border cooperation and student movement. In addition, the School promotes and ensures a high level of civic cooperation, social tolerance and cultural cooperation and cohesion through the admission of students from the Western Balkans region.
Professional practice is included in the curriculum of all undergraduate study programs. Students of the School develop their skills acquired in class through practical work. The school will actively work on the promotion of Erasmus + professional practice so that students, in addition to professional and practical skills, also develop social and intercultural skills.
The school ensures cooperation with business companies and institutions for which the school educates future experts and professionals in Serbia and the region. The school has signed agreements on the implementation of professional practice as well as volunteering during the studies, which enables the inclusion of students in the world of work already during the studies.
The school will be actively involved in the creation of occupational standards and qualification standards that will be introduced into the Serbian Qualifications Framework, which is a necessary precondition for harmonization with the European Qualifications Framework and strengthening the international character. This will make it easier for the students to recognize and internationally recognize qualifications in the European business space.
Students who have attended mobility programs are provided with transparency, the process of recognizing subjects taken at other schools, faculties and universities is facilitated, and ECTS credits from mobility are recognized.
Full text of Strategy of internationalization you can see or download as pdf document at link here!