Third Annual Project Meeting of the ME-Study in English Project Held Online

The Third Annual Project Meeting of the ME-Study in English project was held online on 1 October 2026, bringing together project partners to review progress achieved during the first two and a half years of implementation and to agree on priorities for the next project period.

The meeting provided an opportunity to assess progress across all five work packages, discuss the main results achieved so far and review the remaining activities against the project’s Logical Framework. Particular attention was given to activities that still require further implementation, formalisation or additional supporting evidence. The meeting materials covered progress under project management and quality assurance, evidence-base development, university capacity building, policy improvements, and communication and dissemination. 

Partners highlighted a number of important achievements, including progress in the development of English-medium study programmes, strengthening of university capacities, development of digital tools and analytical resources, improvements to the regulatory framework and increased visibility of EMI and internationalisation in Montenegro.

An important part of the meeting focused on the activities planned for the next implementation period.

Under WP1 – Project Management, Quality Assurance and Sustainability, it was agreed that the first presentation of the Policy Brief on sustainable EMI study programmes in Montenegro will take place on 12 October 2026 and will be organised by the University of Donja Gorica (UDG). Further issues related to sustainability, policy development and project monitoring will be discussed at the forthcoming Steering Committee and Research Committee meetings.

Under WP2 – Evidence Base and Monitoring, particular attention was given to the remaining surveys. UDG will carry out the end-of-project Survey of international students’ interest, which will enable comparison with the baseline established through the earlier market research. The Agency for Control and Quality Assurance of Higher Education will conduct the Survey on satisfaction with the regulatory framework during the current period and repeat it at the end of the project. Both surveys will be implemented in a way that allows reliable comparison with the relevant baseline values.

The meeting also considered the institutional follow-up of the Faculty Policy Briefs prepared under the leadership of Université Côte d’Azur. The recommendations are expected to move beyond the preparation of project deliverables and be considered by the relevant academic bodies of the participating Montenegrin higher education institutions. Further clarification of the institutional uptake process and the realistic timetable for the consideration and possible adoption of the recommendations will be discussed at the Research Committee and Steering Committee meetings.

A key operational decision was also reached under WP3 – University Capacity Building. The partners agreed that the student mobility activity will be organised with the support of the University of Zagreb and implemented in June 2027. This timing was selected in order to enable students to participate in the mobility without disrupting their regular teaching and academic obligations.

The remaining activities under university capacity building, policy improvements, communication and dissemination were also reviewed, including language and intercultural training, student support, scholarships, teaching materials, translated textbooks, conference activities, policy awareness, digital marketing and project visibility.

The Project Executive Board concluded that the next phase of implementation should focus not only on completing the remaining activities, but also on ensuring that all results are properly documented, measurable and sustainable. Issues requiring more detailed strategic, research, policy or technical discussion will be further addressed through the Steering Committee and Research Committee.

The meeting confirmed the strong commitment of all partners to maintaining the momentum achieved so far and to ensuring the successful completion and long-term sustainability of the ME-Study in English project.