Minutes of the 16th session of the EMUNI Management Board Time and place: Portoroft, I4. 12. 2012 at 1411 Present members: Dr. Hassan Nadir Kheirallah (Chairman), Dr. Chris Soler, (Member of International Interested Public), Dr. Oto Luthar (Member of International Interested Public), Mr Peter Volasko (Member of International Interested Public) Authorisations: Dr. Danijel Rebolj to Mr Silvo Devetak, Ilan Chet to Dr. Hassan Nadir Kheirallah, Andreja Viher to Brane Lesjak Other present: Mr Laris Gaiser (EMUNI President-in-Office), Giusepe Giliberti (EMUNI Senate), Brane Lesjak, (EMUNI Foundation), Alenka Kocjan?i? (EMUNI University),Tadeja erovsek (EMUNI University), Anna Gargiulo, (EMUNI University), Katja Kustec (EMUNI Foundation) Proposed Agenda: 1. Con?rmation of the minutes of the 14th- 15th session of the Management board. 2. 2012 Report up to 1st September 2012 (including the ?nancial report for the same period). 3. ENPI projects: evaluation and status of the Master SP and policies. 4. EMUNI work programme 2013. 5. Report on Measures taken after 1st September 2012. 6. Report on the situation with Albanian Diplomatic Academy and decision for further action. Hassan Nadir Kheirallah, EMUNI Management Board Chairman, welcomed the members and informed the members of the proposed agenda. 1. Con?rmation of the minutes of the 14th and 15th session of the Management board. The Chairman summoned the contents of the 15th Management Board minutes the General Assembly will be postponed to February 2013, where a new Management Board will be appointed and General Assembly members recon?rmed. It will be presumably held in Slovenia. The minutes were approved with 6/9 votes for the amendment and 3 members who didn't respond, whereas no negative messages were received. Mr Volasko explained he wasn?t able to vote due to a business trip, but would like to express his support to the conclusions. 2 members added corrections to the about their status in the Management Boardw Dr. Chris Soler and Mr Peter Volasko should be named as representatives of the International Interested Public (nominated by the EMUNI Foundation). Decision 1: the Management Board approved the minutes of the 14th and the 15th session of the Management board 2. 2012 Report up to September 2012 (including the financial report for the same period). Laris Gaiser and Anna Gargiulo reported on the 2012 EMUNI's activities. 35 master programmes are running with EMUNI label, attended by 44 EMUNI students. EMUNI was successful in acquiring were scholarship from Italian ministry of Labour for students (16 scholarships were available, so far 9 students got them). By the scholarships that will be obtained in the future an administration fee for EMUNI from scholarship will be charged. The Chairman opened the question on the need of Faculty at EMUNI. Nada Trunk Sirca pointed out that there are two tracks of implementing programmes, whereby own programmes have to have their own professor capacity. However, they can be assured through the participating universities with part time agreements. She also pointed out that none of the 35 programmes was sent to NAKVIS and therefore is not noti?ed. Mr Laris Gaiser said in the future EMUNI will proceed with the noti?cation procedure. EMUNI has one module accredited as EMUNI module the Euro~Mediterranean studies in the duration of 2-3 weeks (20 ECTs). in 2011/2012 there were cca 125 students involved. Alenka Kocj ancic then reported on the financial situation. She reported that considering the cash ?ow, in 2012 the EMUNI University income will be higher then the previous year. There will be certain open items in the end of the year, but if the study programmes will be implemented in 2013, the budget should be balanced in the net result. The funds received by the Slovenian government are not suf?cient for researchers, operations and the growth as institution. Dr. Chris Soler and Peter Volasko suggested that the lack of staff could be compensated with the help of EU consultants, and project management, secondees, and volunteers. - Peter Volasko pointed out that EMUNI should be the gate to all Slovenian universities. He stressed that some decision makers did not understand the signi?cance of this project in the international context. EMUNI namely already has a reputation outside the country therefore its vision should be clear in the next decade, and all of this shall be presented to the Slovenian government. The chairman added that the image that EMUNI gives is that it shows no interest of north- south cooperation, which indicate that the Senate has to review unique subjects related to the Arab world that are interesting for donors from the Middle East. Oto Luthar added that he prepared a non-paper on the content and guidelines of EMUNI, but only received one comment. Considering the EMUNI membership a request was sent to members to reconfirm their membership in EMUNI network. 123 members reconfirmed the cooperation. In the future a membership fee will be preposed. Considering human resources EMUNI currently employs 8 people. The employee number shall be reduced in 2013 to 7 with a budget decrease of 12%. The appointment of a new president is related to a possible additional in?ow of ?nancing from the new management team. Considering the staff the members agreed that EMUNI should employ at least one person with an academic degree responsible for the academic part, possibly from the South of the Mediterranean in order to justify its status as a university. The call for new president shall be issued in August. The Management Board authorized Mr Laris Gaiser to continue talks with the Slovenian Government on behalf of EMUNI considering additional support. Decision 2: The Management Board is acquainted with the report. Decision 3: EMUNI will proceed with the noti?cation procedure of 35 EMUNI Label programmes. Decision 4: The additional programme hosted by Urbino will be implemented in 2013: Intercultural Business Communication. The EMUNI work plan is supplemented accordingly. Decision 5: Mr Laris Gaiser is authorized to continue talks with the Slovenian Government on behalf of EMUNI considering additional support. 3. ENPI projects: evaluation and status of the Master SP and policies. EMUNI is in the last phase of concluding the ENPI project for EMUNI. All activities of the ENPI project related to the development of study programmes, policies and dissemination activities have been successfully implemented In the last month the EMUNI Foundation allocated 116 000 EUR to the EMUNI University in order to start repaying the work of experts involved in developing ENPI programmes. Due to some errors in managing the projects, EMUNI expects that some costs will not accepted as eligible transport costs should have been included in expert fees for working days). The president of the Management Board suggested to inform the experts that such costs will be deducted from their payments since EC cannot approve them. The proposal for the advance of funds for the needs of the ENPI project has already been made to EMUNI by the EMUNI Foundation, however, there was no of?cial respond by the former president. The ENPI project and project work will be in the future done by Dejan Hribar. Decision 6: The Management Board is acquainted with the situation of the ENPI Project. 4. EMUNI Work programme In 2013 EMUNI will focus on consolidation of ?nances. Considering the academic activity, the following programmes will be implemented and are already accredited: MA: Environmental Analysis and Management Criminal Justice and Security Studies. The management Board adopted a conclusion that also the following programme hosted by Urbino will be held: Intercultural Business Communication. In 2013 EMUNI will therefore have an estimate of 50 Students in the study programmes. The Chairman pointed out that a precise breakdown of the tuition fee as well as the programme costs needs to be made to calculate the loss/benefit of EMUNI. The senate has confirmed another Study programme: European Studies and EU External Relations (host: University of Maribor) that is now ready to proceed with the accreditation procedure. Oto Luthar pointed out 2 issues - the way to have a real university is that it employs at least 3* 5 academics. In addition the current EMUNI premises are not acceptable. A general agreement shall be concluded with all Slovenian universities. Prof. Giusepe Gilibeiti added to the topic that research even more substantial for the operation of the university. DecisiOn 7: The Management Board adopted the 2013 EMUNI University Work Programme. 5. Report on Measures taken after 1st September 2012 Laris Gaiser continued with the issue of handover. Since September he is acting as President, while the former Prof. Mifsud cannot be reached. Since there was no formal handover, EMUNI is entitled to require back the June and July payments that were already paid to him. The calculations from 2010?2012 have been summoned by the ?nancial department that 29 000 EUR of the costs incurred by former EMUNI President are allegedly ineligible. The management board concluded that precise calculations need be calculated and the evidence examined again. An official letter shall be submitted to the former president to offer a possibility of of?cial explanation. In this regard the management board made a conclusion to establish a committee to prepare a detailed report about ineligibility of costs and investigate potential errors by the former management. The committee shall be composed of the following members: Dr. Hassan Nadir Kheirallah, Dr. Chris Soler, Brane Lesjak, Silvo Devetak, Alenka Kocjanci?. EMUNI University has also prepared the documentation for the accreditation of the master study programme >>Euro~Mediterranean and Intercultural Studies<<. The study programme has been developed and will be implemented together with the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy from Berlin. The EMUNI Senate approved the programme at the correspondence session held from 12. 12. until l4. 12. 2012. The members of the Management Board approved to start the accreditation procedure of the Master study programme. Decision 8: A committee is established to prepare a detailed report about ineligibility of costs and investigate potential errors by the former management. The committee shall be composed of the following members: Dr. Hassan Nadir Kheirallah, Dr. Chris Soler, Brane Lesiak. Silvo Devetak, Alenka Kociancic. Decision 9: An of?cial letter shall be submitted to the former president to offer a possibility of of?cial explanation of his operation and eligibility of disputed costs. Decision 10: The members of the Management Board approved to start the accreditation procedure of the Master study programme >>Euro?Mediterranean and Intercultural Studies<<. 6. Report on the situation with Albanian Diplomatic Academy and decision for further Action Decision 11: The management board concluded that the issue with the Albanian Diplomatic Academy will be examined by the committee Dr. Hassan Nadir Kheirallah, Dr. Chris Soler. Brane Lesiak. Silvo Devetak. Alenka Kocian?ic. Anna Gargiulo. The Management Board ended at 18.30.