Graduation Ceremony of 25 Masters of Arts of the 11th generation of ‘European Regional Master Programme of Democracy and Human Rights in the South East Europe’ (ERMA) took place on 27 October 2012 in the Center for Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Studies of the University of Sarajevo. The new generation of students was also inaugurated on this occasion.

Until now, over 300 students, mostly from the region of South East Europe, European Union and beyond have graduated from this Programme which was set up by joint efforts of several South-Eastern European universities. Since 2000 it has been co-financed by the European Union (80% of the total amount) from the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Italy (20% of the total amount). Total value of allocated funds is over €6 millions.

Numerous national and foreign diplomats, universities professors, the former and future students of the Programme, their friends, families and others, attended the ceremony.

Holger Schroder, the Head of Operations at EU Delegation to BiH, said on this occasion ‘The European Union has been supporting this master programme for 11 years. Behind this commitment of the European Union, there is our belief that education for human rights and democracy can help countries in the region in mutual understanding, tolerance and promotion of peace. I believe that investing in future is very important for the political future of the countries in the region’.

Prof. Asim Mujkic, the Representative of the Council of ERMA studies stated that as of this year, students will obtain  dual diplomas – one from the University of Sarajevo and another from  the University of Bologna .