The first theme of E-Learning Course 4 on Strengthening the regional economic development is „EU, regional and national context: challenges, policy context, recommendations“. The theme is further devided into four sessions:

  • Analysis of the regional context and challenges
  • National policy responses
  • EUSDR Strategic Context
  • Contribution and vision of EDU-LAB: Facilitate interaction between actors

The objective of the first session will be to deliver an overview of the analysis of the regional context and challenges along the Danube. After presenting the wider regional context, namely emigration and its economic impact on Eastern Europe, the Danube region and its countries are introduced in order to assess the specific meaning of the wider issue of brain drain for the region.

After exploring the wider context of how policies can change the status quo, that for now in many countries is not able to tackle the issues at hand at the example of the recommendations of the IMF, within the second session existing governance models shall be assessed. Whereas it is possible to deduct general features, best-practice examples from several countries of the Danube region are even more useful when developing new policies.

The third session takes account of the context of the strategies that have been developed to tackle the societal challenges that were explored in the previous sessions. For the Danube Region one strategy is paramount – the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR). As one of the EU‘s territorial approaches it relates to several programmes implementing the objectives of the strategy. Concerning subjects already presented the focus of this session are the proposed and implemented actions of the strategy in the field of educational policy.

After the closer look on the broader regional, the specific Danube region context and the wider policy approach, the final session will present the level of tackling the issue, which is closest to the issues to be tackled. The herewithin presented Interreg project, EDU-LAB is part of the already described Danube Transnational Programme. It is aimed at creating labour-market relevant education schemes. The fourth session will introduce expected results, issues to be adressed and the functioning of its cooperation model.

Session 1. Analysis of the regional context and challenges

Session 2. National policy responses

Session 3. EUSDR Strategic Context

Session 4. Contribution and vision of EDU-LAB: Facilitate interaction between actors