{"id":273,"date":"2025-11-19T12:46:14","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T12:46:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/epir.codedynamics.eu\/?page_id=273"},"modified":"2026-07-21T16:04:03","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T16:04:03","slug":"news","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/epir.codedynamics.eu\/index.php\/news\/","title":{"rendered":"News"},"content":{"rendered":"\n


DIGITALISATION OF THE RECOGNITION PROCEDURE OF FOREIGN HIGHER EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS IN THE FOCUS OF A NEW ERASMUS+ PROJECT EPIR<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the next two and a half years, the University of Novi Sad will implement a project devoted to the digitalization of the recognition process of foreign higher education qualifications for the purpose of continuing education, thanks to a new project EPIR, supported through the EU Erasmus+ program. One of the priorities of the European Union within the Erasmus+ program has been directed toward supporting digitalization, as well as green policies and environmental preservation processes, at institutions that actively participate in the development of the European Higher Education Area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The EPIR project \u2013 E-procedure of institutional recognition of foreign higher education documents has been approved for funding under the Erasmus+ call “Cooperation Partnership KA220” published in 2023. In addition to the University of Novi Sad, which is the coordinating institution, the partner list includes: Marche Polytechnic University in Ancona (Italy), University “1 December 1918” in Alba Iulia (Romania), University of Split (Croatia) and the Qualifications Agency (Serbia).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project was born from the idea to \u200b\u200benable candidates from any country to initiate and monitor the recognition process of foreign higher education qualifications in an easier and more accessible way, which will enable them to continue their education at one of the partner universities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> The digitalization of the process of recognition of foreign higher education qualifications for the purpose of continuing education will enable greater mobility, primarily of foreign students, as well as greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness, as well as improving the work process at the University of Novi Sad and all partner institutions. The project runs from 31 December 2023 to 30 June 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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AN INTERNATIONAL MEETING AT UNS MARKED THE BEGINNING OF THE PROJECT FOR THE DIGITALIZATION OF THE PROCESS FOR RECOGNITION OF FOREIGN HIGHER EDUCATION DOCUMENTS<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Kick-off meeting of the new Erasmus+ project EPIR, coordinated by the University of Novi Sad (UNS), was held in the building of the Rectorate of the University of Novi Sad on March 19, 2024, bringing together representatives of all UNS partners in this project: the Universita Politecnica Della Marche in Ancona (Italy), the University “1 December 1918” in Alba Iulia (Romania), the University of Split (Croatia) and the Qualifications Agency (Serbia). In addition, the meeting was also attended by representatives of the University of Belgrade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During his welcoming speech in the introductory part of the meeting, the Rector of the University of Novi Sad, Prof. Dr. Dejan Madi\u0107, emphasized that the EPIR project deals with a very important topic, which is of common interest to every university in Europe and the world that is internationally oriented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> “Ensuring and improving the process of recognizing foreign higher education qualifications, which this project aims to achieve, will have a great impact on every interested student from abroad, as well as on every partner participating in this project,” emphasized Rector Madi\u0107. “Putting students first, as well as the desire to ensure that they participate in this process in the most efficient and easiest way, with the lowest possible costs, bypassing all obstacles imposed by physical distance, is the main motivation for the partners in EPIR, who are willing to engage their resources and competencies, and work on a new and further digital transformation of their institutions with a shared vision,” said Professor Madi\u0107.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The EPIR project coordinator, Prof. Dr. Artur Bjelica, Vice-Rector for Finance and Organization at the University of Novi Sad, particularly emphasized that the EPIR project aims to improve the digital and so-called “green” competencies of the higher education sector, through the implementation of activities leading to the digital transformation of the recognition procedure of foreign higher education documents for students from abroad, within the framework of the European Higher Education Area. These activities include new or improved IT systems, as well as accompanying institutional policies, processes and structures, as well as improved digital skills and competencies of students and employees, as well as raising awareness of the benefits of using modern technologies in services within the higher education sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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EPIR WP3 MEETING HOSTED AT THE UNIVERSIT\u00c0 POLITECNICA DELLE MARCHE IN ANCONA<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> Within the Work Package 3 of EPIR project, the Universit\u00e0 Politecnica delle Marche \u2013 Ancona (Italy) hosted the meeting 16-17 July 2024, which focused on the development and improvement of IT systems for the recognition of foreign students\u2019 higher education documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Universit\u00e0 Politecnica delle Marche, as the leader of Work Package 3 organized the meeting with all partner institutions involved in the project. The programme included a welcome address by Silvia Mangialardo, Head of the International Relations Office of UNIVPM, who gave a short overview of the faculties and departments of UNIVPM and also spoke about the UNIVPM internationalization programmes. The meeting also included presentations of the achievements of each partner in the current phase of the IT system development, presentation of the software solution of Universit\u00e0 Politecnica delle Marche, and the visit to the UNIVPM IT Centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beside the participants from EPIR partner institutions, the meeting was also attended by 23 participants of the Staff Week organized by the Erasmus+ Consortium \u201cUniAdrion Italy\u201d, which included academic and administrative staff coming from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and North Macedonia, allowing an increased visibility of the EPIR project and amplifying the multiplier effect of its dissemination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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UNIVERSITY OF SPLIT HOSTS EPIR WP2 MEETING FOR IN-DEPTH ANALYSES OF EXISTING REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within the Work Package 2 of EPIR project, the University of Split hosted the meeting on 10 September 2024, focusing on in-depth analysis of the existing regulatory institutional frameworks and EU standards and policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On behalf of the host institutions, Prof. Dr. Zoran \u0110oga\u0161, Vice-Rector for International Collaboration and Cooperation with Local Community at the University of Split, greeted the participants. During his welcoming speech, Professor \u0110oga\u0161 emphasized the significance of the EPIR project and the importance of international collaboration in enhancing the recognition procedures of foreign higher education documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The meeting included a brief presentation of each participating partner institution, with an overview of the relevant legal regulations in the field of the recognition procedure of foreign higher education documents. The participants also discussed the potential challenges, identifying differing national regulations, technological disparities, and administrative hurdles in digitalizing recognition procedures, as the main issues. Key discussion points included the role of legal alignment and necessity to synchronize the national laws with EU standards, as well as the importance of technological Integration in terms of creating compatible digital platforms among partner institutions. In addition, they also emphasized the importance of capacity building and the role of personnel to manage new digital systems effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> In the light of the potential challenges discussed during the meeting, the participants also considered possible solutions, which included strategies such as harmonizing policies, investing in digital infrastructure, and organizing training workshops to enhance staff competencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The meeting was concluded with an overview of the upcoming activities, which included: comparative analysis report; creation, revision, and adoption of new or updated regulations; tailor-made trainings in digital skills and competencies; and development of a set of recommendations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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EPIR CONSORTIUM MEETING AT THE QUALIFICATIONS AGENCY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The EPIR Consortium meeting took place in the premises of the Qualifications Agency of the Republic of Serbia in Belgrade on 17 December 2024, gathering the representatives from partner institutions to review progress, discuss project activities, and address administrative and financial matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event was organized with the main goal to foster successful collaboration and alignment among consortium members, serving as a platform to share updates, align strategies, and ensure a successful implementation of the next steps within the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> The morning session included an overview of the project progress and work packages updates, given by the representatives of the project partners, which was followed by the afternoon session to reflect on the challenges and future activities. The Consortium meeting was wrapped up with a summary of the next actions, including timelines for future deliverables, coordination of upcoming events, and implementation strategies for project outputs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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TOWARD NEW RECOGNITION PROCEDURE: PRESENTATION OF FUTURE REGULATORY CHANGES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NOVI SAD<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The University of Novi Sad EPIR team organized a meeting with the faculty vice-deans for education, study programmes leaders, legal officers, and recognition officers, in order to present the current progress of the EPIR project and future preparatory steps in the transition process toward the digitalisation of the recognition procedure at UNS. The meeting was held in the Rectorate Building, 2 December 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> The main focus of the meeting was the analysis of regulatory changes needed to be implemented in order to introduce a new recognition procedure. During the meeting, the participants discussed important aspects of planned regulatory changes, such as protection of personal data, permissions for different categories of digital tool users and management actions in the system. Furthermore, the meeting topics also included mandatory elements of the recognition report, communication with the candidate digitally in various cases of the documentation status, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, the UNS legal team informed all participants about the next steps toward finalizing the draft version of the University general regulatory acts, which will be followed by their official adoption by the University Senate, until the end of December 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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TRAINING FOR THE NEW DIGITAL SYSTEM ADMINISTRATORS AT UNS<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of the final preparations for the introduction of the new recognition digital tool at the University of Novi Sad, the UNS EPIR team organized an in-person training session for the new digital system administrators on 5 March, 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The session included the presentation and practical demonstration of the administrator role within the EPIR IT system. The development team provided a detailed walkthrough of the system functionalities relevant to administrators, including system configuration options, user management, role assignment, and monitoring of application processing workflows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the presentation, participants were given the opportunity to actively test the system in a controlled training environment. Under the supervision of the development team, future administrators performed basic operational tasks, such as logging into the system, navigating administrative modules, reviewing user accounts, and simulating key administrative procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> The training was organized within the framework of the EPIR activities aimed at strengthening the digital skills and competences of system users involved in the recognition process of higher education documents, while also contributing to the implementation of the new\/upgraded IT system through the validation of system functionalities and collection of user feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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TRAINING FOR THE NEW DIGITAL SYSTEM OFFICERS AND SUPERVISORS AT UNS<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the training session organized for the new digital system administrators, the UNS EPIR team also provided an in-person training for the future digital system officers and supervisors. The training was held in the Rectorate Building on 5 March, 2026, as part of the final preparations for the introduction of the new recognition digital tool at the University of Novi Sad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> The session focused on the presentation and practical demonstration of the Officer and Supervisor roles within the EPIR IT system. The development team provided a detailed overview of functionalities relevant to these roles, with the emphasis on application processing, workflow management, decision support, and supervision of workflows. In further detail, the training provided an overview of Officer and Supervisor roles and responsibilities in the system, processing and review of submitted applications, workflow management and status tracking, communication and coordination within the system, and supervision functionalities and control of user actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Participants found the training to be very useful and engaging, and actively participated in hands-on exercises simulating real-life scenarios within the system. The session enabled participants to understand the differences between operational (Officer) and supervisory roles and their interaction within the system workflow. Furthermore, the training participants provided feedback and suggestions related to workflow optimization, usability improvements, and clarification of certain process steps within the system, which will be considered for the system refinement and implementation phase, in order to further improve usability and alignment with real-life administrative procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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TOWARDS DIGITALISATION OF THE PROCEDURE FOR RECOGNITION OF FOREIGN HIGHER EDUCATION DOCUMENTS AT UNS: NEW RULEBOOK ADOPTED<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of the final phase of the implementation of the two-and-a-half-year international EPIR project, which focuses on the digitalization of the process of recognizing foreign higher education qualifications for the purpose of continuing education, the Senate of the University of Novi Sad adopted a new Rulebook on the Evaluation of Foreign Study Programmes and the Recognition of Foreign Higher Education Documents for the Purpose of Further Education<\/a> on January 29, 2026. The implementation of the new procedure will begin on July 1, 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The document normatively regulates the recognition procedure in the new, digital environment, which will bring significant changes and benefits to both future candidates and employees at the University and faculties who participate in the implementation of the recognition procedure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is expected that the digitalization of the recognition procedure will bring all the advantages of using modern technologies, thanks to which the amount of paper and documentation will be reduced, the quality of institutional activities will increase and internal services, skills and competencies of both students and all employees at the University will be improved. In addition, the potential benefits of the digitalization of the procedure and the implementation of the new regulation can also be reflected in the increase in the number of foreign students at the faculties of the University of Novi Sad, which is strategically oriented towards internationalization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the work on the final text of the new regulation, which is based on previous experience and examples of good practice in this area, a consultative meeting of the local university project team with vice-deans for education, heads of study programs and administrative staff working on the recognition of foreign higher education qualifications at UNS faculties was organized at the University Rectorate on December 2, 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The digitalization of the process of evaluating foreign study programs and recognizing foreign higher education qualifications for the purpose of continuing education at the University of Novi Sad and its 14 faculties, is the result of the idea of \u200b\u200benabling candidates from any country to initiate and monitor the implementation of this process in an easier and more accessible way. In addition to the adoption of the rulebook as a normative framework regulating the digitalized recognition process and other ongoing project activities, one of the most significant project results is the creation of software as a digital environment to be used in the recognition process, which is currently in the testing phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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UNS ORGANIZED TRAINING FOR THE FACULTIES VICE-DEANS AND OTHER USERS OF THE NEW PORTAL<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of the final period of the implementation of the Erasmus+ project EPIR, the Rectorate of the University of Novi Sad organized training for the members of UNS academic community, who will be future users of the new university digital portal for the recognition of foreign higher education documents. The training was organized in the UNS Rectorate Building on 27 May 2026. The event gathered together the faculties vice-deans for education, heads of study programs and administrative staff as well, who have been involved in the recognition process at the University of Novi Sad. These members of UNS and faculties staff are planned to be one of the main users of the future portal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the introctory part of the meeting, Prof. Dr. Artur Bjelica, Vice-Rector for Finance and Organization of the University of Novi Sad and EPIR Project coordinator greeted the participants, explaining the contribution of this project to the enhancement of the digitalization processes at UNS in general. Furthermore, Professor Bjelica especially emphasized the expected impact of the project outcomes in terms of the thoroughgoing improvements in the recognition process, and consequently for the internationalization of UNS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The training was organized by the members of the EPIR team from the University of Novi Sad \u2013 the Secretary General of the University and the colleagues from the Center for Information Technology CIT-UNS and the Office for Legal Affairs, with the support of the IT team members from the Faculty of Technical Sciences who directly worked on the development of the new portal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> As the coordinating institution in the international team of the Erasmus+ EPIR project, the University of Novi Sad has previously worked on setting up a University portal (digital tool) for the recognition of foreign higher education qualifications for the purpose of continuing education. In addition to intensive work on creating the portal and ensuring its full functionality starting from 1 July 2026, the University defined a new legal framework for the implementation of this procedure in a modern, digital environment, which was officially adopted by the University Senate at the beginning of 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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EPIR PROJECT PRESENTED AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE “FROM LOCAL EXCELLENCE TO GLOBAL IMPACT: IMPORTANCE OF INTERNATIONALIZATION FOR REACHING R&I EXCELLENCE”<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Erasmus+ project EPIR was presented to the international audience during the conference “From Local Excellence to Global Impact: Importance of internationalization for reaching R&I excellence”, held at the Rectorate of the University of Novi Sad, June 5, 2026, in the framework of the EINSTEIN project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> On behalf of the UNS EPIR team, the Head of International Relations Office at the University of Novi Sad Ivana Vujkov spoke about the internationalization of UNS and its importance for reaching R&I excellence. In her presentation, Ivana spoke about a strategic roadmap for a globally competitive University through the roles of UNS International Relations Office and Research & Project Management Office. Among others, Ivana highlighted EPIR project as one of the notable examples of successful collaboration between European partners, dedicated to development and advancement of digital and green capabilities in the higher education sector of Serbia, Romania, Italy and Croatia by enabling the process of recognition of foreign HE documents to be carried out in a digitalised, user-friendly and accessible way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The EINSTEIN project \u2013 Empowering Excellent Research has been supported through the EU Horizon Europe programme, aiming to contribute to advancement of nutrifood-based theranostics for a healthier and robust European society. Its international conference held in Novi Sad brought together researchers, academic leaders, and industry representatives to explore how international collaboration can drive research and innovation (R&I) excellence. The event served as a platform for exchanging best practices, addressing systemic challenges, and fostering long-term partnerships across borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo: EINSTEIN project<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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FINAL CONFERENCE OF THE ERASMUS+ PROJECT EPIR<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the framework of the Erasmus+ project EPIR, coordinated by the University of Novi Sad, which has been dedicated to the digitalization of the institutional recognition procedure for foreign higher education qualifications, the final project conference was held at the University of Alba Iulia (Romania) from 7 to 9 June 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The meeting brought together representatives of the partner institutions: University of Novi Sad (Serbia), University of Alba Iulia, the Marche Polytechnic University of Ancona (Italy), the University of Split (Croatia), and the Qualifications Agency of the Republic of Serbia. The conference provided both onsite and online participation of the universities representatives of all project work packages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conference was an opportunity to summarize project activities, and to review the contribution and impact of this project on improving the digitalization processes at partner institutions, especially in the area of \u200b\u200brecognition of foreign higher education qualifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> The aim of the EPIR project (E-procedure of institutional recognition of foreign higher education documents<\/em>) has been to improve the digital and so-called “green” competences of the higher education sector, through the implementation of activities leading to the digital transformation of the procedure for the recognition of foreign higher education institutions for students from abroad. These activities have included: development of new or improved IT systems, definition of accompanying institutional policies, processes and structures, improvement of digital skills and competences of students and employees, as well as raising awareness about the benefits of using modern technologies in various services within the higher education sector. The completion of the EPIR project has been planned for the end of June 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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DIGITALISATION OF THE RECOGNITION PROCEDURE OF FOREIGN HIGHER EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS IN THE FOCUS OF A NEW ERASMUS+ PROJECT EPIR In the next two and a half years, the University of Novi Sad will implement a project devoted to the digitalization of the recognition process of foreign higher education qualifications for the purpose of continuing education, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-273","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/epir.codedynamics.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/epir.codedynamics.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/epir.codedynamics.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epir.codedynamics.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epir.codedynamics.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=273"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/epir.codedynamics.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/273\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":365,"href":"https:\/\/epir.codedynamics.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/273\/revisions\/365"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/epir.codedynamics.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}