The EU Info Centre in BiH, in cooperation with the Academy of Fine Arts in Široki Brijeg, organized an exhibition of students’ artworks on the topic of children and education on 18 February 2016. After the opening of the exhibition, the panel discussion on EU education programmes took place.
Welcoming the attendees, Stjepan Skoko, Dean of the Academy of Fine Arts in Široki Brijeg commended the students’ efforts and creativity.
Massimo Mina, Head of Operations Section for Social Development, Civil Society and Cross Border Co-operation in the EU Delegation to BiH noted the importance of EU financial assistance in the education sector in BiH. “According to the new statistics, 600 students and academic workers from BiH will be able to use mobility and gain experience in a different country, and BiH is the tenth recipient in terms of participation in Erasmus +, while even the first in some areas,” Mina said, adding that, since 2007, the education sector in BiH has been supported through IPA (Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance) funds in the amount of 12.6 million euro.
According to Mina, the EU will continue to support the educational sector in BiH through the IPA II programmes with the emphasis on the sectoral approach.
The panellists also presented results of the EU funded projects in the field of education. Boris Ćurković, Team Leader of the EU funded project “Entrepreneurial Learning in BiH Education Systems – Phase II“ and Viktorija Bošnjak, representative of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the West Herzegovina Canton presented the results of the aforementioned project, while the UNICEF Consultant Dženana Šabić Hamidović and the Director of the Social Welfare Centre in Posušje Marinka Jukić presented results of the EU funded project “Social Protection and Social Inclusion for Children”.
The panel discussion focused in particular on the education systems in BiH and EU assistance in the process of its reform.
The EU Info Centre has invited four Academies of Fine Arts in BiH to create artworks on the topics of cultural and natural heritage (Trebinje); water and environment (Banja Luka); human rights (Sarajevo); and children and education (Široki Brijeg). The final exhibition of the students’ artworks from all four academies will be held in Banja Luka. A selection committee consisting of representatives of the four art academies will award one winner from each fine art academy with a study visit to one of the best European art academies, the Brera Fine Arts Academy in Milan.
The EU Info Centre is the project funded by the European Union with aim to increase the knowledge of citizens of BiH on the EU, its programmes and policies, as well as on relations between BiH and the EU.
