Task ForceFostering and Building Human Capital of the

Regional Cooperation Coucil/RCC

Barbara WeitgruberFederal Ministry of Science and

Research, Austria

Short History

• International conference on “European Educational Cooperation for Peace, Stability and Democracy” in Graz, Austria in 1998 (Austrian EU Council Presidency)

• Follow up: establishment of “Graz Process” - a Task Force with major actors in education

• German EU Council Presidency in 1999: Launch of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe with “Graz Process” asked to coordinate Task Force “Education and Youth” as part of the Working Table on Democratisation and Human Rights

Task Force Education and Youth

Chair: Austria

Co-Chair: Romania

Aims:• To facilitate & support reforms in all areas of education in

South Eastern Europe (SEE)• Regional cooperation, international networking, policy

advice and transfer of knowledge and expertise• Donor coordination & fundraising • Need for a strategic regional approach

Education Reform Initiative of South Eastern Europe/ERI SEE

• SEE Ministers of Education and Higher Education: commit themselves to regional cooperation & to the European dimension of educational reforms in 2003 (“Memorandum of Understanding”)

• ERI SEE set up as a regional platform:

interface between ongoing national reforms in South Eastern Europe and trends/developments in education at EU level, especially regarding the “Education and Training 2010” agenda

From Stability Pact to RCC

• Decision of Stability Pact in 2006: Move towards full local ownership of regional cooperation (“RCC”)

• Education, science, research and the development of human resources to be one of the core objectives within the Stability Pact under the joint name of “Fostering and Building Human Capital”

• New Memorandum of Understanding/MoU between the ministers responsible for education, science and research in SEE (2007)

• Transfer of the leadership of the Task Force “Education and Youth” from Austria to Romania (2007)

Task Force Fostering and Building Human Capital of the RCC

Aims:• Creating a platform for dialogue and cooperation

between education and research with information exchange & coordination of activities

• Awareness raising; agenda setting & lobbying

Chair: RomaniaCo-Chairs: Austria & Croatia

Membership: RCC, Signatories of the MoU (2007),Task Force Education and Youth, ERI SEE, Steering Platform on Research for the Western Balkans

Task Force Fostering and Building Human Capital of the RCC

Constituent Meeting of the Task Force

on 13 June, 2008 in Ljubljana