As outlined in the previous issue, the TFBHC succeeds the Task Force Education and Youth (TFEY) of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe and is in charge of the coordination of activities in the priority area “Fostering and Building Human Capital” of the RCC.

The Task Force, which is led by a core team of Romania as chair and Austria and Croatia as co-chairs, is composed of the Members of the Regional Cooperation Council Board, the Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council, the signatories of the Memorandum of Understanding from Istanbul, the Task Force Education and Youth, the Members of the Education Reform Initiative of South Eastern Europe (ERI SEE) and the Steering Platform on Research for the Western Balkans as its founding members.

As a platform for dialogue and cooperation between the actors involved in the sectors concerned, the TF’s mandate includes awareness-raising, setting agendas and lobbying, promoting of regular dialogue and information exchange as well as the coordination with other priority areas of the RCC and the promotion of partnerships and activities.

The work of the TFBHC as an overarching network for trans-sectoral cooperation in the framework of the “knowledge triangle” of education, research and innovation will be led by and will encompass the European and the regional challenges in this domain. This role was already acknowledged by Ministers responsible for education from the region of South Eastern Europe on the occasion of the Informal Ministerial Conference in Oslo in June 2008, who pledged to support the work of the RCC and the South Eastern European Cooperation Process as members of the TFBHC and of the Education Reform Initiative of South Eastern Europe.

Following the constituent meeting and the prior endorsement of the profile and structure of the TFBHC by the RCC Board Members, the TF began its work based on several Short-term Priorities of Action, as agreed by the participants of the constituent meeting.

Besides the cooperation within the political framework of the SEECP and other priority areas, the joint identification of common priorities, instruments and implementation of activities will be of particular importance in view to a provisional plan of action to strengthen regional cooperation in line with the Istanbul Memorandum between the Ministers responsible for education, science and research and the Human Capital priority area of the RCC. As regards the identification of mid-term thematic priorities, relevant contributions are expected to be presented in a conference on building human capital of the Task Force leadership on 6-7 March 2009 in Romania.

Furthermore, a Regional project in support of the Task Force’s contribution to Building Human Capital was submitted under the “South-East Europe Transnational Cooperation Programme 2007-2013. As one of its first measures to promote information exchange and coordination of activities, the TFBHC is currently setting up an online calendar of relevant events accessible for all Task Force members.

A pilot-phase of a mobility programme aiming at capacity building for regional cooperation was already carried out. By this programme partner ministries in SEE responsible for education, science and research shall be provided with impulses and possibilities for a sustainable development of capacities, know-how and human resources in the spheres of regional cooperation. The programme which was started by mid-October is based on short-term placements at key institutions and networks in the area of cooperation for building human capital. As the mobility programme should include all sectors within the priority area of “building human capital”, initially short-term placements took place in Sarajevo at the RCC Secretariat, as well as in Zagreb and in Vienna.

The pilot phase of the programme was implemented through grants provided by the Austrian Co-Chairmanship of the Task Force and cooperatively supported by the seconding and receiving partner institutions. Non-EU-member and non-EU candidate Ministries responsible for education, science and research were invited to nominate one intern for the first round.

For further information:

Jürgen Schick http://www.wbc-inco.net/users/5566.html
TF Secretariat Vienna at the Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, the Arts and Culture
http://www.wbc-inco.net/organisation/5499.html