One of the major environmental and sustainability challenges of the 21st century is preserving and ensuring the most precious resource – water. Water as the basic resource incorporated into functioning of different sectors requires innovative, interdisciplinary, structural, and trans-boundary approach - strong coordination and cooperation across countries and across sectors. Western Balkan (WB) partner countries i.e. Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Kosovo* on their path to EU accession should harmonize procedures with EU water management requirements in line with Chapter 27 - to converge national rules and standards towards a single framework of EU water legislation. The wider objective of the SWARM project is to improve the quality of higher education in Water Resources Management (WRM) field, strengthen its relevance for the labour market and society, enhancing the level of competences and skills of experts for WRM in WB partner countries by developing new competence-based and improvement of existing master curricula in line with EU trends. This wider objective is fully compliant with the priorities of the Capacity Building projects within the Erasmus+ program.Besides day-by-day visible outcomes (reports, analyses, trainings, action plans, etc.), more prominent outputs showing to what extent the project objectives are met will be:- Developed/modernized master curricula and modules in WB partner HEIs, in accordance with the highest EU standards, - Contemporary equipped laboratories for studies in the field of WRM,- Enrollment of students to the new master curricula,-Developed and conducted for professionals in water sector.Since the background for the foreseen activities is in accordance with EU standards and the best practices it is expected that all partner universities will educate experts with adequate knowledge and competences, which will be able to employ in relevant institutions for WRM.
The wider objective of the SWARM project is to improve the quality of higher education in Water Resources Management (WRM) field by strengthening its relevance for the labour market and society and developing new competence-based and improving the existing curricula in line with EU trends. The one of specific objectives is to enhance the level of competences and skills of experts for WRM in WB partner countries by implementing developed LLL courses.
One of the major environmental and sustainability challenges of the 21st century is preserving and ensuring the most precious resource – water. Water as the basic resource incorporated into the functioning of different sectors requires innovative, interdisciplinary, and transboundary approach. WB partner countries should harmonize procedures with EU water management requirements in line with Chapter 27 - to converge national rules and standards towards a single framework of EU water legislation.
<< Background >> One of the major environmental and sustainability challenges of the 21st century is preserving and ensuring the most precious resource – water. Water as the basic resource incorporated into the functioning of different sectors requires innovative, interdisciplinary, and transboundary approach. WB partner countries should harmonize procedures with EU water management requirements in line with Chapter 27 - to converge national rules and standards towards a single framework of EU water legislation. << Objectives >> The wider objective of the SWARM project is to improve the quality of higher education in Water Resources Management (WRM) field by strengthening its relevance for the labour market and society and developing new competence-based and improving the existing curricula in line with EU trends. The one of specific objectives is to enhance the level of competences and skills of experts for WRM in WB partner countries by implementing developed LLL courses. << Implementation >> The SWARM project was implemented through 7 WPs and 35 activities by the consortium consisting of 13 HEIs and one public water management company supported by 4 associated partners in the Western Balkan region. The quality of teaching was improved by using new laboratory equipment, acquiring innovative teaching methods and know-how practices via six theme-based trainings, workshops and study visits to water-related companies in Programme Countries. << Results >> More prominent results are:- developed/modernized 9 competence-based study programs in line with the highest EU standards, - contemporary equipped 7 laboratories for studies in WRM,- 144 enrolled students,- 25 virtual student mobilities and 6 summer/winter schools organized,- 6 theme-based trainings, 2 workshops and 1 symposium organized,- handbook and 7 LLL courses in WRM created,- developed and conducted 3 three-day trainings for professionals in the water sector (259 participants).