Bosnia and Herzegovina, a hub for research
Researcher mobility between EU Member States and Candidate Countries ought to be a two-way street. Several European Commission actions have already increased international contacts and improved access to high-quality infrastructures, centres of excellence and other institutions. Mobility should be supported so that brain drain can be replaced by brain circulation. Against this backdrop, the aim of the three-year project 'Development of Bosnia and Herzegovina's network of mobility centres' (BAMONET)(opens in new window) was to develop a network of mobility centres in line with the EURAXESS initiative in BiH, which will offer researchers quality and consistent services as well as support and personalised assistance. Importantly, this new mobility network involved stakeholders such as policymakers, industry professionals, academics and researchers. The project established the BiH national network of mobility centres, including a high-level support and consultative body for steering project activities, a bridgehead organisation, a number of service centres and a network of local contact points. To assist incoming as well as local researchers searching for job opportunities, two service centres have been established at the universities of Sarajevo and Banja Luka. Two more service centres were established later on at the International University of Sarajevo and at the Europroject Centre (EUPC) in Banja Luka. Another important BAMONET achievement was the creation of a national researchers' mobility portal and its linking with the European EURAXESS portal, ensuring alignment with European standards and values. Among other services, the portal includes information regarding relocation in BiH and a database of research organisations, fellowships and grants. To ensure that service centres' coordinators are fully trained to provide mobility information and services according to defined structure and quality levels, two training events and two workshops were planned. Project activities and outcomes were disseminated through press conferences, e-newsletters and a mobility guide for incoming researchers who wish to work in BiH. The BiH researchers' mobility portal is expected to considerably increase the number of incoming and outgoing researchers. This should also raise the visibility of local institutions in the European Research Area (ERA) and strengthen ties between BiH and other European research institutions.