Universities and Student Engagement in South-Eastern Europe
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Written by Amila MemićMember of EDYN Bosnia and Herzegovina
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Students, Participation, and Quality Assurance
When discussing the quality of higher education, attention is often directed towards procedures, standards, evaluation and self-evaluation mechanisms. While these elements are important, they sometimes overshadow a more important question: how much influence do students actually have over the education they receive and pay for?
Across South-Eastern Europe, and especially in former Yugoslavia countries, students are still viewed as recipients of education rather than active participants in academic life. Even though student involvement is recognized and mandatory at every institution, participation often remains consultative. Students are present in councils and committees, but their influence on decision-making can be limited, which is very similar to youth participation in politics. This gap between formal inclusion and real influence shapes how young people experience higher education.
Quality assurance reforms in the region have largely focused on alignment with European standards, especially through processes associated with the Bologna framework and ECTS system. While this alignment is important, it doesn’t automatically create democratic practices. Participation cannot be imported through regulations alone because it requires space, encouragement, and a willingness to share responsibility.
As someone who has only recently started working in the Quality Assurance sector, I am still learning how these processes function in practice. However, this experience has already shown me the importance of Quality Assurance for improving higher education.
Student Experience and Teaching Practices
A very popular YouTube video titled “Why Balkan Universities Suck” captures many of these frustrations. The YouTuber describes university life in the region as highly stressful, rigid, and focused on survival rather than development. Despite its provocative title, the video explains deeper issues: outdated teaching methods such as memorizing texts by heart, limited space for critical thinking, and academic cultures in which student initiative is not always encouraged.
The popularity of this video suggests that these experiences, unfortunately, resonate with a large number of students across the region. If we compare these methods of teaching and studying with those more commonly used in the West, the conclusion is simple: emphasis is more often placed on analysis, discussion, and independent thinking rather than the mere reproduction of texts.
For many students, quality is not only about diplomas or rankings, but about whether universities prepare them for real life, allow them to think independently, make them more competitive in the labour market, and treat them as members of an academic community.
Universities and Democratic Responsibility
In societies where democratic participation is limited, universities have an important responsibility. The way students are treated during their studies influences how they later relate to public institutions and public life. If participation feels symbolic, disengagement becomes normal. If participation feels genuine, students are more likely to see themselves as active citizens and capable of shaping change.
At the same time, it is important to acknowledge positive developments. I also notice huge progress in Quality Assurance at my university and a broader, gradual improvement across the region, especially through extracurricular activities that help students bridge the gap between academic theory and practical experience, which is essential for their future integration into the labour market.
On this International Day of Higher Education, it’s worth stepping back and asking: are we preserving an old model that keeps students waiting, or are we genuinely building spaces where they help shape how education evolves?
When students are encouraged to participate meaningfully, to question, and to take responsibility, education becomes a shared process rather than a one-way transfer of knowledge. If we want active citizens tomorrow, we need to treat students as active participants today. Higher education has the potential to shape not only careers, but democratic cultures as well.
