Tallinn University School of Educational Sciences participated on a Kick-off Seminar of the APEL-WB in Albania

The meeting was attended by Mari-Liis Lind, Head of Studies, and student counsellor Katerina Chikhran. Partners from across the region and from other parts of Europe gathered to initiate joint work on strengthening the recognition of non-formal learning and prior learning in higher education in three Western Balkan countries: Albania, Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The first day began with official welcomes, partner presentations, and initial discussions on quality assurance, management structures, and the strategic objectives of the project. The second day was dedicated to intensive teamwork within working groups, where management plans, research activities, work package development, and dissemination strategies were discussed, reinforcing cooperation and coordination among the participating institutions. The third day offered participants a cultural tour in the heart of Tirana.

Tallinn University is an active partner in the project and has already contributed to the launch of project activities and the development of international cooperation in the early phase of implementation. During the initial months of the project, TLU’s role has focused primarily on introducing the Estonian and Tallinn University APEL system and related good practices, as well as mapping the contexts of partner organisations and countries. As part of the content-related activities, TLU is responsible for a work package aimed at developing guidelines and training programmes for academic and support staff of universities, as well as for quality assurance agencies and ministries of education, in order to strengthen the implementation of APEL in higher education. Through the project, TLU also gains opportunities to contribute to the further development of the recognition of prior learning and work experience and to enhance international cooperation in increasing the quality and accessibility of higher education.

The “Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning Capacity-Building in the Western Balkans” (APEL-WB) project is funded by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) within the framework of the Erasmus+ programme (ERASMUS-EDU-2025-CBHE-STRAND-3). The project is coordinated by Logos University College in Albania, with partner universities and educational institutions from Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Greece, and Estonia.