The Role of Universities in the Europe 2020 Strategy - The Cases of Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Kosovo

This book provides a unique study of the role of universities, as organisation systems, in the pursuit of the Europe 2020 strategy. While Europe 2020 focuses on creating the basis for the advancement and cohesion of the EU's member states, it also has an important role in influencing the development strategies for potential candidate states. In this regard, the book examines two new member states - Slovenia and Croatia - and two potential EU candidate states - Serbia and Kosovo - in the Western Balkans. Based on these cases, the author argues that the operationalization of the Europe 2020 strategy depends to a great extent of the role and contribution of tertiary organisations such as educational institutions, i.e. public and private universities, and therefore requires the formulation of an economic development strategy at the national level that is capable of duly allocating the available financial resources. The study suggests that the paradigm shift represented by Europe 2020 has helped to forge a new academic identity, adding to the relevance of university organisations as fundamental agents for the promotion of economic development; in addition, it shows that an intensive learning process involving major structural changes is underway in the four countries discussed, as well as many other EU member states.

Alessandra Ricciardelli is a researcher at the University LUM in the field of Public Policies and Governance. She holds a PhD in Economics and Management of Natural Resources from the University LUM Jean Monnet and a  Master of Science in Russian and Eastern European Studies from the University of Oxford (Christ Church). She currently holds the position of Assistant Professor of Public and Non- Profit Management as well as Assistant Professor of Economics and Management of Culture and teaches the module of European Public Governance and Management, as a Visiting Professor, at ILIRIA University of Kosovo (Pristine).

She also works in the School of Management of the University LUM Jean Monnet where she currently holds the position of Chief Responsible of the Research, Internationalization and Development Area, which includes the total responsibilities of the school's capacity to attract investors and foster international research. Moreover, she is the Scientific Coord

ination of several post-graduate courses (i.e. Training course in Planning and Sustainable Development of Territories; University Master in Management and E-Governance for Public Services; University Master in Urban Regeneration and Management; University Management in Culture and Heritage Management). 

Prior to joining the academia, she worked as a consultant for the City Council of Bari and was in charge of drafting the Strategic Plan of the Metropolitan Area of Bari together with a team of experts and scholars. She has coordinated several European Projects on Cooperation and Development for the Institute for Relationships between Italy, Latina America, the Pacific and the Mediterranean countries and has been she has been the scientific coordinator of the Microcredit Project working together with the 2007 Nobel Prize Mohamed Yunus. 

Her ongoing and future research is focused on the topic of sustainable development applied to

communities and territories in conflict and post-conflict areas with the aim to elaborate innovative and sustainable models for development underpinned by increasing social capital stocks.