Ministerial Meeting of the Western Balkans Steering Platforms on Education and Training, Research and Innovation and Culture, 29 September – 1 October 2024, Skopje

Sunday 29 September 2024

Beyond the Horizon: Joint Foresight Exercise (Event review and Presentation) (Roof Bar No 55 – top floor)
18:00 – 19:30	Interventions: Signe Ratso, Deputy Director-General, DG for Research and Innovation, European Commission Sinisa Marcic, Senior Expert on Human Capital Development, Regional Cooperation Council Moderation: Julia Schmälter, POLICY ANSWERS Team Member, DLR Projektträger
Welcome Dinner
20:00 – 22:00	The Welcome Dinner is organised at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, in the Platinum Room, floor -1. Dress code: business attire.

Monday 30 September 2024

Presentation of the COST Western Balkans Study (Event review and Presentation) (Roof Bar No 55 – top floor)
08:45 – 09:15	Interventions: Signe Ratso, Deputy Director-General, DG for Research and Innovation, European Commission Salvatore Grimaldi, President, COST Association Moderation: Ronald De Bruin, Director, COST Association
Ministerial Meeting of the Steering Platforms on Education and Training, Research and Innovation, and Culture (Diamond Ballroom, ground floor – Welcome coffee served in the foyer from 9:15)
*Moderation:* Normunds Popens, Deputy Director-General, DG for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, European Commission
10:00 – 10:05	Opening of the Event Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth
10:05 – 10:15	Welcome Addresses Vesna Janevska, Minister of Education and Science, North Macedonia Zoran Ljutkov, Minister of Culture and Tourism, North Macedonia Balázs Hankó, Minister of Culture and Innovation, Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Ministerial Meeting on Education and Training *Moderation:* Normunds Popens, Deputy Director-General, DG for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, European Commission
10:15 – 10:20	Keynote Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth
10:20 – 11:45	Ministerial Round Table Discussion on Education and Training “Education and Innovation” Topics for discussion: Synergies between education and innovationTeaching and learning in the digital age
11:45 – 12:00	Concluding Remarks: Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Vesna Janevska, Minister of Education and Science, North Macedonia Balázs Hankó, Minister of Culture and Innovation, Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
12:00 – 12:15	Family Picture (Within the Diamond Ballroom on the ground floor)
12:15 – 13:45	Lunch Break (Lunch is served at the Restaurant MONTE on the ground floor)

Ministerial Meeting on Research and Innovation *Moderation:* Signe Ratso, Deputy Director-General, DG for Research and Innovation, European Commission
13:45 – 13:50	Welcome and Keynote Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth
13:50 – 15:15	Ministerial Round Table Discussion on Research and Innovation “Young Researchers and Innovators: Scaling up the Skills” Topics for discussion: Pooling and building skills required for innovationScaling up skills: market uptake Interventions: Besar Durmishi, Minister of Economy and Labour, North Macedonia Salvatore Grimaldi, President, COST Association
15:15 – 15:30	Concluding Remarks: Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Vesna Janevska, Minister of Education and Science, North Macedonia Balázs Hankó, Minister of Culture and Innovation, Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
15:30 – 15:45	Family Picture (Within the Diamond Ballroom on the ground floor)
15:45 – 16:15	Coffee Break (Coffee is served in the foyer of the Diamond Ballroom)

Ministerial Meeting on Smart Specialisation Strategies *Moderation:* Sabine Henzler, Director, Joint Research Centre, European Commission
16:15 – 16:20	Welcome and Keynote Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth
16:20 – 17:30	Smart Specialisation Strategies “Best Practice on Smart Specialisation Strategies” Topics proposed for discussion: Moving from development to implementationExchanging best practices Interventions: Oliver Röpke, President, European Economic and Social Committee Valentina Superti, Director Western Balkans, DG Neighbourhood & Enlargement, Negotiations, European Commission (tbc) Vesna Janevska, Minister of Education and Science, North Macedonia
17:30 – 17:45	Concluding Remarks: Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Besar Durmishi, Minister of Economy and Labour, North Macedonia Balázs Hankó, Minister of Culture and Innovation, Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
17:45 – 18:00	Family Picture (Within the Diamond Ballroom on the ground floor)

Air Quality in Western Balkans Cities: Sources, Impact on Health and Costs (Event Review)
(Roof Bar No 55 – top floor)

18:00 – 18:30

Interventions:
Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth
Izet Mexhiti, First Deputy Prime Minister at Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, North Macedonia (tbc)
Claudio Belis, Project Leader, Joint Research Centre, European Commission (Presentation)
Dejan Mirakovski, Rector, University Goce Delcev (Presentation)
Moderation: Sabine Henzler, Director, Joint Research Centre, European Commission

Gala Dinner
19:30 – 22:00	The Gala Dinner is hosted by North Macedonia at the Aleksandar Palace Hotel, transfer by bus will be provided. Dress code: business attire.

Tuesday 1 October 2024

Ministerial Meeting on Culture *Moderation:* Normunds Popens, Deputy Director-General, DG for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, European Commission
09:00 – 09:05	Keynote Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth
09:05 – 10:30	Ministerial Round Table Discussion on Culture “Culture” Topics proposed for discussion: The protection and promotion of cultural heritage, including intangible cultural heritage, as a resource for inclusive and sustainable developmentEU – Western Balkans / regional cooperation and mobility of artists and cultural professionals
10:30 – 10:45	Concluding Remarks: Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Zoran Ljutkov, Minister of Culture and Tourism, North Macedonia Veronika Varga-Bajusz, Minister of State for Higher Education, Vocational Training, Adult Learning and Youth Policy, Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
10:45 – 11:00	Family Picture (Within the Diamond Ballroom on the ground floor)
12:00 – 13:30	Farewell Lunch (Lunch is served at the Restaurant MONTE on the ground floor)

In parallel: Ministerial Exchanges on Digital Education and on Innovation Eco-systems (This session runs in parallel in the Platinum Room, floor -1 – welcome coffee served in the foyer from 08:30)
09:00 – 09:15	Welcome and Introductory Addresses Antoaneta Angelova Krasteva, Director for Innovation, Digital Education and International Cooperation, DG for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, European Commission Valentina Superti, Director Western Balkans, DG Neighbourhood & Enlargement Negotiations, European Commission (tbc) Stefan Andonovski, Minister of Digital Transformation, North Macedonia
09:15 – 10:45	Round Table Discussion on the Multi-stakeholder Approach to Digital Education Topics proposed for discussion: The Digital Education Action Plan and fostering high-quality digital education for all: learning from policy and practice. The role of education in addressing pressing societal issues in the digital age, such as disinformation and Artificial Intelligence. Interventions: Pilvi Torsti, Director, European Training Foundation Maida Pasic, Regional Education Adviser, Europe and Central Asia, UNICEF Renata Petrevska Nechkoska, Associate Professor University St. Kliment Ohridski, Western Balkans Alumni Association (WBAA) Dejan Dokuzovski, Project Director, USAID’s Media Literacy Project YouThink Moderation: Antoaneta Angelova Krasteva, Director for Innovation, Digital Education and International Cooperation, DG for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, European Commission
10:45 – 11:15	Coffee Break (Coffee is served in the foyer of the Platinum Room)

11:15 – 12:45	Round Table Discussion on the New European Innovation Agenda and Sharing Best Practices on Local and Regional Innovation Eco-systems Topics proposed for discussion: Best practices of local and regional innovation eco-systems and their Innovation Fund schemes Impact of the New European Innovation Agenda Interventions: Valentina Superti, Director Western Balkans, DG Neighbourhood & Enlargement Negotiations, European Commission (tbc) Orhan Aydin, President, TÜBITAK Diego De Biasio, President, European Business and Innovation Centre Network Nikola Dodov, Director, Fund for Innovation & Technology Development, North Macedonia Pranvera Kastrati, Acting Head of Programme Department, Regional Cooperation Council Moderation: Andras Inotai, Head of Unit Innovation Policy & Access to Finance,DG for Research and Innovation, European Commission
12:45 – 13:00	Closing Stefan Andonovski, Minister of Digital Transformation, North Macedonia Andras Inotai, Head of Unit Innovation Policy & Access to Finance, DG for Research and Innovation, European Commission Valentina Superti, Director Western Balkans, DG Neighbourhood & Enlargement Negotiations, European Commission (tbc)
13:00 – 14:30	Farewell Lunch (Lunch is served at the Restaurant MONTE on the ground floor)