DTP-EUSDR Annual Forum

Several EDU-LAB stakeholders participated in the 6th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) from 18th-19th October in Budapest. This years forum was a joint conference of the EUSDR and the Danube Transnational Programme (DTP), which is not only the strategy’s financial instrument but also its policy driver. The joint nature allowed to make visible and discuss the linkages between the EU’s overall strategy, the corresponding programme and its related projects.

Capitalization workshop

Together with its partner Learning by Doing, EDU-LAB was proud to hold its own workshop. Both projects are part of DTP Thematic Pole 9 on Educational Governance and initiated the workshop as one of the pole’s capitalization activities. The workshop was the first joint event of Priority Areas and the DTP Projects EDU-LAB and Learning by Doing and therefore largely and actively attended.

DTP EUSDR Synergies

Under the title “Linking education to employment – best practices in the Danube Region” the goal of the capitalization workshop was to highlight synergies between the DTP Thematic Pole 9 and the EUSDR Priority Areas 7 (Knowledge Society) and 9 (People and Skills). Both the representative for PA 7, Ulrike Sedlmay (Kultur Kontakt Austria) and for PA9, Jaroslava Szüdi (Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic), presented the scope of the PAs. Together wth PA 8 (Competetiveness of Enterprises) they aim at creating wealth in the Danube Region by focusing on different sectors and aspects of education. Their common ground is tackling brain-drain and increasing employability by fostering practically oriented education.

Best Practice Examples

Similar to the complementarity of the EUSDR’s PAs in the field of education, the examples presented during the workshop displayed different levels of systemic cooperation between education and business. During the presentation of best practice examples by Maria Oancea (KeepCalling, RO), Anca Serban (Lucian Blaga University Sibiu, RO), Mirtill Megyeri (Nestlé Alliance for Youth, HU) and Prof. Dr. Károly Belina (John von Neumann University, HU) not only the need for and success of labour market relevant education schemes became clear. In total, Priority Areas 7,8 and 9 and DTP Thematic Pole 9 may generate synergies as their objectives and own or partner projects are complementary and mutually reinforcing. As emphasized at other points of the forum, the success of the EUSDR and DTP highly rely on these multiplying effects. In the case of educational governance, jonining ideas and endeavours could lead to a shift in how education is regarded and governed.