In the Western Balkans, there are two keywords used every day: future and past. Hardly anyone talks about the present. When we talk about the future, looking back at the present is a must. The present of education in the European Union is the future of education in the Western Balkans.

Why is it like that? In the Balkans, often referred to as “western”, the first university HUB opened, created for students and young people to promote education and science. While working with students, I see all the transformations of young people, the challenges they face, but also what education is for them and what it does to and for their economies. Failure to adopt adequate educational policies, unalignment of the educational system with the labour market, unnecessary material and inadequate literature are key factors in the departure of youth from Western Balkans in their search for the future of education. Universities in the Western Balkans, and especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina, should be the generators of change and development of society. They could be the highway to the upgrade of our economies and not the constant rollercoaster of dissatisfaction and an enchanted roundabout of the past. Universities should shape preschool, primary and secondary education. However, that is not the case.

The transformation of the educational system in the Western Balkans is still lost on its crossroads and junctions while escaping the communist-socialist system. Our education still tries to outrun the ex-cathedra, a synonym for authority and power where teacher and professor must be listened to by heart. Critical thinking did not and does not exist. In the long-term transformation and movement towards the future, the education systems in the Western Balkans began to search for their place in now-already established modern education systems, but that search did not last long. In the search for transformation to modern education, the outdated systems peaked. In complex and post-war generations, such as the generations of the Balkans, education is never in focus. And when the focus is not on the future, young people will look for that future where it already exists. I can see, as a young man, a daily advocate for the development of youth policies through education and science, that inadequate education is the bonfire of future generations. Starting with primary and secondary the disease of outdated education successfully spreads to higher education. Pandemics and online classes exposed all the deficiencies of our systems. It has shown how much professors need education reforms and lack the “new” knowledge and skills needed for the IV industrial revolution.

While talking with students at an organized activity and pushing their critical thinking, we reached their vision of higher education. The image of the future of education in the Western Balkans is merely called the present in the rest of the world. Rectors, as managers of universities, should act like company managers, think about how to make money, and translate knowledge into practice that’s valuable for society. Students say that the biggest weakness of the system is that critical thinking is undesirable. Professors neither care for someone else’s opinion nor do they rely on students drawing conclusions as a way of learning. They suggest universities to focus on modernization in terms of equipment, technical support and other engineering tools, that can prepare students for the current labour market.

Available faculty majors should be adjusted every five years, depending on the needs of society and the labour market. The theoretical teaching should be complemented with practical work to the greatest extent possible. Education has to connect with companies and the labour market to provide students with internships or another way of taking part in the job market. Education should reach the state where it can support and contribute to the development of modern companies. Lectures should be held in smaller groups to facilitate active participation in learning and focus on the applicability of the theory. The education of the future must open its doors to inclusivity, both for those with developmental disabilities and marginalized groups. Respect for others is sorely lacking in the current path of the Western Balkans’ education future. Professors must learn together with students and be a step ahead of time by becoming more engaged and approachable. The mental health of youth wasn’t untouched by the pandemic and other socio-economic crises in the Western Balkans and Europe. Many students were seeking psychological support within their universities that sadly failed to deliver it. Mental health affects every aspect of a young person's life, including studying, and both individual and group psychotherapy counselling would help in creating a shared vision of the future of education, both for students and teachers and professors.

Universities must be the seekers of prosperity and change, especially in topics such as climate change, peace, and other multidisciplinary topics that affect global life and our common future. Education in every science, social or natural, must be oriented towards these topics and raise awareness of the needed change.

Listening to these young people, that came from different regions and universities, from various backgrounds and interests it is easy to conclude that students and youth are well-aware of what kind of future they want to see and what needs to be done to go in that direction. Youth is the key to achieving the next generation of education. And until we do so, the Western Balkans will be waiting for its future in the past.

About Author

Mirza Rastoder

Mirza Rastoder, graduated in diplomacy and economics at the International University of Sarajevo, while his master's thesis is in the field of financial management at the Faculty of Economics, University of Sarajevo and University of Zagreb. During and after his studies, as an assistant of the Horizon2020 project, which was focused on gender equality in higher education, he continued to act in that direction, starting the first university HUB in Bosnia and Herzegovina for students and high school students, the Homework HUB, within which the Gender HUB was founded research center, which deals with education and lectures for students. As part of his entrepreneurial activities, in his work, he often organizes gender policy activities and events for male and female students, raising awareness of the importance of this topic, as well as the importance of education and science for youth.