SCOPE OF WORK
This project is merely a proposal for the creation of an Academic Center of Excellence with special focus on Southeastern European matters, therefore creating an innovative and sustainable academic establishment in the Southeast European Region.
The project aims to establish an entirely independent and non-political Research Institute that will utilize a considerable number of local and international experts in multi-disciplinary issues of vital importance to the development of the region.
The Institute of Southeast European Studies (ISEES) undertakes studies of common historical and present features of the people and countries of Southeast Europe. The core activities of the Institute aim to provide its assistance on the road towards Euro-Atlantic integration and to strengthen the cooperation and peace in this region. The Southeast European Studies will include the historic, cultural and political aspect of it. The goal will be the research and reflection of facts and trends of development of the relations between Albania and Kosovo with Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Greece, Romania, Croatia, Slovenia and Hungary.
The scope of work of ISEES has been designed in full compliance with the Albanian context, combining the analytical skills with practical demands of the surrounding.
The Institute of Southeast European Studies aims to contribute to the organizational strengthening of the Cooperation Process of Southeast Europe in order to maintain and develop the institutional memory and to develop the academic school of thought in regards to the pertaining issues and multilateral cooperation in the region, yet being in coherence with the philosophy of regional cooperation and organizational strengthening of those structures that will manage this cooperation in the future.
ISEES aims to promote innovative learning methodologies and research in a field of study concerning the Southeast European Affairs in order to build bridges of cooperation amongst universities, research institutes, national institutions, NGOs, policy makers, international organizations, media and business.
VISION
Achieving Albania’s Euro-Atlantic integration goals by means of regional integration.
MISSION
The mission of ISEES is to train high professionals and researchers in the field of multidisciplinary research on Southeast European subject matters and to provide support in the cultivation of European values of economic and social cooperation, good neighborly relations and the development of democracy in Albania and the entire region.
OBJECTIVES
• To attract and train future generations and experts who have an intellectual and academic interest in subject matters related to the development of the region.
• To encourage a debate within the regional professional and academic community regarding the regional security threats of the 21st century and put forward recommendations on measures to be adopted in order to achieve real and positive change for our mutual benefit.
VALUES
ISEES conducts its activity based on its values of academic freedom, institutional autonomy, quality, effectiveness, efficiency, and self-financing.
Academic freedom implies the absence of external intervention, censorship and the barriers to the practice of academic activities. This is considered as a pre-condition to creative critical thinking, as well as knowledge improvement and intellectual research.
Institutional autonomy refers to self-adjusting level and administrative independence in fulfilling the mission of school of thought. Upon this principle and in compliance with laws and regulations on education and research in Albania, ISEES solely determines the areas in which research is to be undertaken. Therefore, the Institute:
a) Approves the development strategy;
b) Approves educational programs;
c) Establishes councils and commissions to achieve the accomplishment of its mission;
d) Holds the right to memberships in national and international organizations in the field of European studies;
e) Holds the right to cooperate with domestic and foreign foundations that support the development of higher education in the field of European studies and European integration process;
f) Holds the right to selecting the academic and non-academic staff;
The principle of quality implies the application of academic research and management standards of infrastructure, in terms of both, needs and expectations, which are to be met in order to achieve the desired excellence. Complying with the principle of quality refers to the materialization of internal evaluation, self-evaluation, external evaluation and accreditation, altogether aiming to bring about improvement, change, progress and formal recognition of the institute’s quality.
Effectiveness is the means to driving operations in such a way that leads towards the achievement of the desired goals and objectives. This principle requires that the day-to-day operations are driven by a preset strategy.
The principle of efficiency drives ISEES to achieve satisfactory results at acceptable cost to the society, whilst utilizing human and capital resources optimally.
The principle of self-financing implies that ISEES:
a) Secures the revenue required for normal operation of the activity in respect to the legislation in power;
b) Holds the right to maximize its revenues through its activities;
c) Holds the right to manage its secured revenues based on its needs, respective of legal and by legal acts in force.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
The contribution of ISEES is mainly concentrated in enhancing the quality of postgraduate education. ISEES cooperates with homologous institutions in Regensburg and Berlin, Germany, to design and implement its program and offers a high degree of teaching expertise, being a fresh expertise in the field of Southeast European Studies.
The Cooperation is extended to the Institute of South East Europe in Vienna, Institute for Crisis Resolution in Brussels, the Institute of South East European Studies in Berlin, the Institute of Peace in Washington, as well as its counterparts in Austria, Switzerland, and Great Britain.
The contribution of foreign university professors to ISEES will offer high quality learning experience and will directly contribute in supporting and developing the local academic staff.
Based on the European System of Credit Transfer, the graduate study program offered by ISEES will be a model program that will offer its students the opportunity of granting joint degrees with other regional and European universities.
ACTION PLAN
The Institute of Southeast European Studies aims to serve as a cross-disciplinary, academic research center near the Center for Albanological Studies in Tirana.
The key aspects of the Institute’s activities include learning, research, dialogue on Southeast European subject matters, as well as publications. Furthermore, ISEES will conduct its activities under a long-term development strategy.
Core activities of ISEES:
1. Providing a long-term research program. The research activity is mainly focused in the Southeast European field of study which is accomplished through dissertations and research projects.
2. Providing programs of Master of Science and PhD in Southeast European Studies. The learning activity is conducted in compliance with contemporary learning models of analogous European schools.
3. The dialogue of Southeast European subjects is applied through conferences, training sessions, seminars, summer schools and other activities in order to provide contemporary information and contribute in raising interest towards regional matters.
4. Releasing publications of various kinds in support of the programs it offers and that of the propaganda of academic activity and scientific research.
5. Establishing the Southeast European Observatory (SEEO) – an activity aimed at daily monitoring of the news and media analysis regarding topics pertaining to Southeast European Region and documentation of the same.
6. Creating a regional cooperation network to promote and establish models for long-term cooperation among academic circles in the region of Southeast Europe.
7. Providing consulting services to prepare special reports and analytical papers on topics of particular interest.
ACADEMIC STAFF
By common practice, ISEES accepts pedagogues that hold the title of professor, associate professor, doctor, or PhD candidate.
Admission of professors is made according to certain defined criteria.
Foreign professors will be recruited on the basis of bilateral agreements and that of the legislation in power.
PARTNERSHIPS
The Institute of Southeast European Studies institutionalizes relationships with partners. Public institutions, private organizations and individuals with operations in the field of education and European integration are all eligible to being partnered with ISEES.
The cooperation of ISEES with institutions and individuals is applied on the basis of cooperation agreements negotiated by the Institute itself and undersigned by the Executive Director of the Institute.
THE MECHANISMS OF PROJECT MONITORING AND EVALUATION
The Executive Board of ISEES is composed of five renowned experts in the field of international relations, who will be in charge of evaluating the activities specified in the project.
The performance evaluation is conducted through:
1. Measurement of effectiveness – whether the activities are conducted in line with the preset timelines and expected quality.
2. Measurement of efficiency – how the project has contributed, directly or indirectly, to the beneficiaries (academic institutions, professors, students).
3. Measurement of Sustainability – the extent to which the project has had an impact on the development of long-term effective curricula, which brings about change in the attitude and behavioral trends of the community.
