Bosnia and Herzegovina Private Universities’ Diplomas Not Recognized Abroad

According to “Collegium Bosniacum”, an association of BiH students in Austria, there is a growing number of young people from Bosnia and Herzegovina whose dreams of continuing their post-graduate studies at one of Austria’s universities have been crushed by the realization that their hard-earned bachelors’ diplomas are not recognized in Austria. This is a harsh awakening, considering all the time and money these students have spent trying to get their degrees.

 Many of the private universities in question, whose names misleadingly contain the title “international,” do not disclose that they are, in fact, not internationally accredited universities. “Collegium Bosniacum” urges students to inform themselves thoroughly before selecting their place of education. A good starting point is visiting the website of the European Network of Information Centers, a pan-European organization established by the Council of Europe and UNESCO in order to implement the Lisbon Recognition Convention and to develop policy and practice for the recognition of qualifications. The website contains a list of European and non-European countries as well as recognized higher ed institutions from those respective countries.

Although not all private universities in BiH are “questionable,” there is no denying the fact that higher ed has become a booming business industry, not only in BiH but in the region as a whole. There are nearly as many private universities in the Balkans (around 100) as there are in the entire European Union. This is a striking record considering the lack of proper teaching staff, the overall low standard of living, and the (in)ability of ordinary citizens to pay for the “luxury” that is private education.

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Written by Aldina Dzebo