The Higher Education Initiative for Southeastern Europe (HEISEE; pronounced hi-see) is an educational development project founded in 2012 by the Institute of Higher Education at the University of Georgia (UGA) in the United States and conducted as a collaboration with Croatian colleagues at the University of RijekaInstitute for Social Research in Zagrebthe Institute for the Development of Educationthe Agency for Science and Higher Education, and the Embassy of the United States in ZagrebHEISEE operates as an independent entity and offers opportunities for networking, regional consultations, communications, conferences, and meetings. Its overarching goal is to build capacity and enhance postsecondary education throughout the region.

Over time, HEISEE seeks to expand this collaborative model utilizing carefully constituted partnerships with higher education institutions in other countries of Southeastern Europe, and the appropriate institutes, agencies, and non-governmental organizations which might fit the Initiative’s mission. In so doing, HEISEE strives to build capacity within the academic community by effectively bringing together resident experts as well as those from the international community. In addition, HEISEE hopes to engage scholars and practitioners to study key higher education issues, and devise integrated and sustained strategies for regional improvement and development. Student and faculty exchanges and research collaborations across the region—as well as with UGA and other U.S. institutions—will also be part of HEISEE’s scope of activity.

Recently, under the auspices of HEISEE, the experts from the Institute of Higher Education at the UGA in cooperation with the University of Rijeka and other HEISEE partners envisioned a systematic and structured curriculum for the Life Long Learning (LLL) program in higher education management. The LLL program is conceptualized as a module and building block of the advanced master’s program in higher education governance and management that will be offered by the University of Rijeka. This will be the first university program in higher education in the region, and it will be tailored to the current and aspiring university leaders. The inaugural LLL cohort is expected to enroll in the summer of 2017.