Sustainability is increasingly becoming a strategic competence for universities — not only in teaching and research, but also in the way international projects are designed, managed, and embedded within institutional structures. Sustainable project management enables higher education institutions to maximise the long-term impact of EU-funded initiatives, strengthen internal capacities, and generate lasting value for their academic communities and territories.
Within this perspective, the SuProM project supports universities in the Western Balkans in integrating sustainability principles into all phases of EU project management. On 4–5 February 2026, the University of Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovinahosted, with the participation of the University of Tuzla, a two-day capacity-building training bringing together academic and administrative staff, project managers, and international experts.
The programme combinedstrategic reflections with practical tools, focusing on project design, institutional roles and processes, compliance with Erasmus+ and EACEA requirements, and the long-term sustainability of project results. Together with the University of Ljubljana and the University of Palermo, we coordinated interactive workshops to harmonise top academic expertise with our field experience.
Expert insights on sustainable project management
The training was enriched by contributions from distinguished guest speakers.
Suad Muhibić, Head of the National Erasmus+ Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina, addressed the participation of the country in the Erasmus+ programme (2021–2025). Ivan Jurilj, Director of the Office for European Integration, explored the synergy between science and governance in EU projects.
Maja Arslanagić-Kalajdžić, Director of the Research and Development Center at the University of Sarajevo, reflected on sustainable project management as a driver of institutional transformation.
Finally, Ana Bošnjak, Vice President of the Project Management Association in BiH, highlighted the importance of knowledge, skills, and competencies as the foundation of effective project management.
As CESIE ETS we contributed by focusing on EU project design through a practical, hands-on approach, with specific attention to Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) actions. The sessions supported participants in translating institutional needs into coherent project structures, aligning objectives, work packages, impact, and sustainability principles within CBHE-funded initiatives.
The high level of participation confirmed the relevance of strengthening strategic and sustainable project management capacities in higher education institutions across the Western Balkans.
Follow SuProM on our website suprom-project.eu
About the project
Partners
- University of Ljubljana (Slovenia, coordinator)
- Università degli Studi di Palermo (Italy)
- CESIE ETS (Italy)
- UNIMED (Italy)
- Aleksandër Xhuvani University of Elbasan (Albania)
- Ismail Qemali University of Vlorë (Albania)
- “Fan S. Noli” University (Albania)
- University of Tuzla (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- University of Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
For further information
Read more about SuProM.Visit our website or contact Caterina Impastato: caterina.impastato@cesie.org
