Škrijelj on Diplomas: Problem with Slovenia and Croatia, but Not with Other EU Member States

(Patria) - The Rector of the University of Sarajevo, Rifat Škrijelj, said that all UNSA resources are dedicated to achieving a better ranking on the Webometrics list. In the January ranking, UNSA advanced by 120 places.

"By all three criteria, UNSA has made progress and is at a respectable 1593rd place, which positions us in the top 5.1 percent of the 31,000 universities," said Škrijelj.

The rector said that the pandemic period significantly affected international activities, which was also reflected in the decline.

"For now, we are maintaining an upward trend on the ranking list. We have retained our position among the top 10 percent in Europe," the rector said.

He revealed that a contract for the construction of the University Library, which will be located in the UNSA Campus, will soon be signed.

"At that location, the official construction of the library will begin. The third piece of news is the development of a master plan for UNSA, after which we will approach our founder and the Novo Sarajevo Municipality. UNSA remains committed to developing the UNSA Campus," said Rector Škrijelj.

Speaking about the stance of Slovenia and Croatia regarding diploma recognition, he said that both UNSA and the Rectors' Conference will raise this issue.

"I believe we will have understanding from our neighbors. UNSA is dedicated to all these issues, but situations with diplomas are becoming complicated. This is not the case with other EU countries like Germany and Austria," said Škrijelj.

Škrijelj confirmed that the problem in the Republic of Croatia is actually that the Agency for Development of Higher Education is not a member of ENQA, and that it has not been positively evaluated like other agencies in the region.

He said that accreditations for some private universities were given too lightly, and in their opinion, those students "easily obtain a diploma" unlike students in Croatia.

When it comes to Slovenia, solutions need to be adopted confirming that universities were accredited before 2014, because otherwise diplomas of students who completed their studies earlier are not recognized. These solutions should have been issued earlier by the Agency for Development of Higher Education.