Balkan Universities Network Explained

Abbreviation:	BAUNAS
Type:	University Association
Status:	higher education associations
Purpose:	Facilitation of higher education sector dialogue in the region of Balkans
Headquarters:	Rotating among the member universities
Region Served:	Balkans and neighboring areas

The Balkan Universities Network or Balkan Universities Association (BAUNAS) is an association of universities in Southeast Europe. In its present form the body was created after the breakup of the SFR Yugoslavia and the end of the Yugoslav Wars. Association facilitates the regional cooperation in the context of expansion of higher education sector caused by the establishment of new private and public universities (in addition to traditional schools with their existing institutional links).

Association helped in the exchange of experiences in the implementation of the Bologna Process at Balkan universities. The aim of the network is the exchange of know how and experience in research and education, mutual acceptance of certificates, encouragement of professors and students for more mobility between the universities and the use of support programs for student exchange.^[1] Besides bilateral meetings, conferences rotating between the member universities take place.

The 2010 conference was organized by the Trakya University in Edirne.^[2] Rector Enver Duran Trakya University Edirne (Turkey), President; Dean Hilmi Ibar Trakya University Edirne (Turkey), Vice-President; Rector Faruk Čaklovica University of Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Member; Rector Dhori Kule University of Tirana (Albania), Member; Rector Ioannis P Gerothanassis, University Ioannina (Greece), Member; Rector Anelia Klissarova, Varna Medical University (Bulgaria), Member.

In addition to the bilateral meetings, conferences of the Balkan universities take place at changing member locations.^[3] The 2018 meeting took place in the University of Tetovo.

In 2016, the Rector of Trakya University Erhan Tabakoglu in Edirne has taken over the general secretariat of the association.Since 2018, Enver Duran has been honorary president and Pericles A. Mitkas president of BAUNAS. The new additional goal is to work more closely with the network of Black Sea Universities Network (BSUN).

Members

Country	Institution(s)
	University of Tirana University of Medicine, Tirana Epoka University Eqrem Çabej University Fan S. Noli University Luigj Gurakuqi University
	University of Sarajevo University of Mostar University of Tuzla University of Zenica
	Agricultural University of Plovdiv American University in Bulgaria University of Sofia Burgas Free University^[4] St. Cyril and St. Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo State University of Library Studies and Information Technologies Technical University of Varna Technical University of Gabrovo Medical University of Varna University of Shumen Episkop Konstantin Preslavski University of Food Technologies^[5] Varna Free University^[6] Medical University Pleven
	University of Zadar
(de facto)	European University of Lefke
	Aristotle University of Thessaloniki University of Macedonia University of Ioannina Democritus University of Thrace University of Thessaly
	Iliria College^[7] University of Pristina^[8] University of Priština (North Mitrovica)
	FON University Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje State University of Tetovo International Balkan University St. Clement of Ohrid University of Bitola South East European University
	Comrat State University
	University "Mediterranean" University of Montenegro
	Ovidius University University of Bucharest Andrei Saguna University
	University of Belgrade University of Arts in Belgrade University of Novi Sad University of Niš University of Kragujevac
	Trakya University Dokuz Eylül University Galatasaray University University of Istanbul Namik Kemal University Fırat University Süleyman Demirel University Atatürk University Bozok University^[9] Kirklareli University^[10] Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University

Guest members

• Baku State University
• Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University Loerrach
• University of Graz

See also

• National Institutes of Technology – 31 leading public engineering universities in India

Further reading

• Enver Duran: Challenges of Higher Education Institutions in the Balkans, III Balkan Universities Network Meeting, Trakya Universität Edirne Mai 2010,
• Manfred G. Raupp: Lörrach Symposium - Lörrach Sempozyumu, Trakya Universität Edirne Mai 2011,

Notes and References

1. http://www.auth.gr/inter/memberships/contents/balkan-network_el.html Protocole for the Balkan Universities Network
2. http://bsec.trakya.edu.tr Balkan Spring Education Conference at Edirne May 2010
3. http://www.baunas.org/content/aims-and-objectives.html The Objectives of the Balkan Universities Association
4. Web site: Бургаски свободен университет. 14 May 2015.
5. Web site: Университет по хранителни технологии УХТ - гр.Пловдив - University of food technologies UFT - Plovdiv, Bulgaria. 14 May 2015.
6. Web site: Varna Free University "Chernorizets Hrabar". www.vfu.bg/en/. 14 May 2015. 18 May 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150518093953/http://www.vfu.bg/en/index.php. dead.
7. Web site: Kolegji ILIRIA. 14 May 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150518085259/http://www.uiliria.org/cms/. 18 May 2015. dead.
8. Web site: Universiteti i Prishtinës "Hasan Prishtina". 28 March 2018.
9. Web site: Bozok Üniversitesi. Tarık TANRIVERDİ. 14 May 2015.
10. Web site: KLU - T.C. KIRKLARELİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ. Kırklareli Üniversitesi Bilgi İşlem Daire Başkanlığı. 14 May 2015.