South-Eastern Europe Health Network (SEEHN)
Skopje, 27 March 2026
The South-Eastern Europe Health Network (SEEHN) marked its active participation in the regional conference “Bridging Futures: Internationalisation of Higher Education in the Western Balkans and Southeast Europe”, held on 26–27 March 2026 in Skopje, North Macedonia.
The conference convened a high-level and diverse group of participants, including ministers of education and senior government officials from across the Western Balkans, representatives of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and the World Bank, European Commission experts, leaders from academia and university networks, as well as international organizations and policy experts in education, labor markets, and human capital development. The event provided a unique platform for cross-sectoral dialogue linking higher education policies with labor market needs and regional competitiveness.
Representing SEEHN, Dr. Tatiana Păduraru, Head of the SEEHN Secretariat, contributed to the conference’s policy dialogue by facilitating Lab C: “Attracting Health Professionals for the Care Economy”, a dedicated session focused on one of the region’s most pressing challenges—health workforce mobility, retention, and sustainable workforce planning.
The Lab brought together a distinguished panel of experts, including Fatime Arënliu Qosaj (Public Health Policy Expert, AAB University College), Milva Ekonomi (Member of Parliament, Chair of the Economic Employment and Finance Commission, Albania), Ulpiana Lama (Human Capital Development Expert, RCC), Tina Šarić (Independent Consultant), Sulakshana Nandi (Human Resources for Health, WHO), and Danica Ramljak (EU Universities Network). Through a dynamic fireside chat format, the session enabled an interactive exchange of perspectives on workforce mobility, recognition frameworks, and retention strategies.
In her role as session facilitator, Dr. Păduraru guided discussions around key policy priorities, including:
- Advancing the automatic recognition of professional qualifications for health professionals;
- Strengthening regional cooperation frameworks to support workforce mobility and skills circulation;
- Developing sustainable workforce planning strategies to enhance retention and address demographic pressures;
- Promoting international pathways and incentives to transform brain drain into brain circulation.
The discussions highlighted the need for coordinated regional approaches that align education systems, labor market needs, and health system priorities. Participants emphasized that investing in the health workforce is essential not only for the care economy, but also for broader socio-economic resilience and European integration pathways.
The outcomes of Lab C are expected to contribute to a set of policy-relevant takeaways, reflecting a shared regional voice on how to better attract, retain, and empower health professionals in the years ahead.
SEEHN’s contribution to the conference reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Member States in addressing health workforce challenges through policy dialogue, regional cooperation, and knowledge exchange.
