The final conference of the project “Corruption-Free Universities in Albania, North Macedonia, and Serbia” was held on August 27, 2024, in Belgrade. This significant event marked the culmination of efforts to promote transparency and integrity in higher education institutions across these three countries.
The event brought together key stakeholders, including representatives from the SMART Balkans Consortium, the Norwegian Embassy in Belgrade, the Ministry of Education, university professors, students, and civil society members.
Over the course of 20 months, the project “Corruption-Free Universities” has made significant strides in combating corruption in higher education across Albania, North Macedonia, and Serbia. The conference provided a platform to showcase these achievements and explore future strategies for regional cooperation in this critical area.

CeSID’s Executive Director, Bojan Klačar, emphasized the importance of regional collaboration in the fight against corruption. Project Manager Mišo Dokmanović highlighted innovative solutions like the digital assistant (chatbot) developed during the project. Discussions also focused on the challenges of addressing corruption in education, the need for early intervention, and the role of student organizations in promoting transparency.
The conference concluded with discussions on the future of corruption prevention in higher education, with a focus on private faculties and the impact of AI and new technologies. These insights will guide the next phase of efforts to build corruption-free universities across the region.
As the project concludes, the conference served as a moment to celebrate achievements, address ongoing challenges, and chart a path forward for continued efforts in creating corruption-free universities in the Western Balkans.
The project “Corruption-Free Universities in Albania, North Macedonia, and Serbia” was a collaborative effort, supported by the regional grant of the project “SMART Balkans – Civil Society for Shared Society in the Western Balkans.” This regional initiative was implemented by the Center for Promotion of Civil Society (CPCD), the Center for Research and Policy Making (CRPM), and the Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM), with financial support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NMFA).