OSF Strategy 2021-2024 aims to respond to multiple challenges, from the ongoing Covid19 pandemic to climate change and the economic and social crisis that will inevitably ensue and will affect many. Besides these mentioned topics there is also a need to still support the normalization of relations in the Western Balkans and fight against xenophobia and nationalism. Following up on these OSF initiatives, the Centre for Education Policies (CEP), Serbia, and Centre Science and Innovation for Development (SCiDEV), Albania, jointly developed a project proposal for a mobility programme for university students, young professionals, and youth activists from Serbia and Albania. Regional Youth Leadership Mobility Programme will target young individuals who have leadership potentials and the capacity to influence societies in the future.
The Regional Youth Leadership Mobility Programme objectives are:
- To contribute to the strengthening of cooperation between Albania and Serbia through establishing and maintaining cooperation between youth and
- To empower youth with various sets of competencies on leadership, research, policy, and advocacy for participation and activism in public life and policy development.
The project includes a capacity building and mentoring pillar as well as the mobility programme, both aiming not only to strengthen cooperation between the two countries but also to encourage research in areas that are at the same time local priorities and empower young individuals to contribute to the active participation of youth in these areas. The target group is university students, young professionals, youth activists, and youth researchers. Following a call for application, the selected participants will be offered tailored capacity development activities with the aim to further improve their skills and knowledge on how to produce high-quality research and to facilitate effective collaboration between youth in these countries. They will also have an opportunity to spend up to one month in Albania or Serbia (Serbian participants will go to Albania and vice versa) and do part of their research there. During their research participants will work with designated mentors that will support them through the process and with the selected topic. The project will organize different dissemination activities and two joint events will be organized, one in Belgrade and one in Tirana.
Key project results are:
- enhancement of regional and intercultural cooperation among young people;
- strengthening of leadership skills and ability to engage, participate, and advocate for change in society;
- development of research competencies, critical thinking, advocacy skills, but also digital and resilience skills as lifelong skills;
- promotion of evidence-based youth advocacy at the national and regional levels.
Implementing partners: Centre for Education Policies (CEP), Serbia and Centre Science and Innovation for Development (SCiDEV), Albania
Financed by: Open Society Foundation Albania and Open Society Foundation Serbia
Duration: October 15th, 2021, to June 15th, 2022
About implementing partners
Centre for Education Policy (CEP) is an independent multidisciplinary research center that provides professional support to decision-makers and practitioners in developing, implementing, and evaluating policies in the field of education. To complement these, CEP continually strives to identify and bring to light areas in need to be addressed by both decision-makers and the scientific community, while strongly advocating in favor of informing education policy and practice with evidence provided through social science research.
The Science and Innovation for Development Centre (SCiDEV) is an independent organization that aims to support and incentivize sustainable, economic, and social development and democratization in Albania and the wider region. SCiDEV’s primary target groups are youth, young professionals, researchers, higher education institutions, government institutions, local CSOs and grassroots groups, and media. It primarily engages in research, capacity development, advocacy and knowledge brokering, Project Development, Fundraising, Networking, Science Communication, Engagement of Academic Diaspora.