This panel discussion delves into the complex interplay between global norms and the development and implementation of policies in the Balkan region, focusing on Kosovo and Bosnia & Herzegovina (BiH). While substantial research has examined the influence of global reform models, discourses, and international power dynamics on educational policies (Arnove, 1980; Meyer et al., 1997; Schriewer, 2004; Steiner-Khamsi & Stolpe, 2004), studies on post-conflict settings remain limited. This session brings together scholars with expertise in curriculum development, teacher training, and school governance to explore how global norms—such as human rights, standardization, and community participation—shape domestic education policies and practices.

Since the 2000s, Kosovo and BiH have been central to international intervention and norm diffusion, undergoing significant transformations influenced by international organizations, foreign governments, and NGOs following Yugoslavia's dissolution. Global norms—such as those in United Nations and the European Union Acquis Communautaire—have profoundly impacted policy agendas. However, their local reception and implementation often face challenges stemming from historical legacies, ethnic divisions, and institutional limitations (Komatsu, 2021; Saqipi, 2019).

Drawing on academic literature and case studies, the discussion aims to illuminate the complexities post-conflict countries encounter while transitioning from socialism to democracy and aligning local realities with global expectations. It will appeal to scholars, policymakers, and practitioners in comparative and international education, transitional societies, and Balkan studies. By providing empirical evidence and theoretical insights on norm diffusion and implementation, the panel contributes to ongoing debates in education policy transfer. Highlighting Kosovo and BiH as emblematic cases, this session promises valuable perspectives on the dynamics of global norm adoption and adaptation in post-conflict settings.

Key questions:

1. How have global norms shaped policy frameworks in Kosovo and BiH since 2000s?
2. What are the main challenges these countries face in implementing international standards?
3. To what extent do local actors adopt, adapt, or resist global norms?
4. What lessons can be drawn from the experiences of Kosovo and Bosnia for other post-conflict regions?

Structure:

The panel will consist of the following segments:

Introduction:

Overview of global norms and their role in policy-making as well as contextual backgrounds

Panel Presentations:

Dr. Blerim Saqipi, University of Prishtina, Kosovo

"The impact of global norms on curriculum development: the case of Kosovo”

Summary: Kosovo’s post-1999 curriculum reform aimed to shift toward student-centered, competence-based education. However, foreign donor-driven interventions often imposed ready-made solutions. This created tensions between trust and control in teaching and between didaktik and curriculum theory. Effective reform requires adapting external inputs to local contexts for meaningful educational change.

Dr. Larisa Kafedzic-Kasumagic, University of Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina

"The impact of global norms on teacher training: the case of BiH”

Summary: The transitions in BiH have shaped multilayered and divergent trajectories in its collective experience. This presentation focuses on fundamental changes in education 30 years after the war, examining political-ideological shifts, policy changes, and socio-cultural adaptations. In this complex landscape, education will be analyzed through the lens of culture and social values amid rising technocratic trends, deepening fragmentation, escalating violence, and dominant neoliberal narratives.

Dr Taro Komatsu, Sophia University, Japan

"The impact of global norms on school governance: the case of BiH”

Summary: Using an institutionalist framework, this paper examines school governance reforms in BiH, focusing on the ideological and social dynamics shaping their local implementation. It highlights macro-level perspectives from sociological and historical institutionalism and actor-focused insights from discursive institutionalism.

Discussion and Q&A:

Moderated dialogue among panelists and audience participation.

Conclusion:

Summary of key insights and policy implications.

Arnove, R. F. (1980). Comparative education and world-systems analysis. Comparative Education Review, 24(1), 48–62. Kasumagić-Kafedžić, L. (2017). Social and moral responsibilities of foreign language teachers in post-conflict, fragile, and fragmented Bosnia and Herzegovina. In J. Millican (Ed.), Universities and conflict: The role of higher education in peacebuilding and resistance (pp. xx–xx). Routledge. (Routledge Studies in Peace and Conflict Resolution). Kasumagić-Kafedžić, L., & Clarke-Habibi, S. (Eds.). (2023). Peace pedagogies in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Theory and practice in formal education. Springer International Publishing. Kasumagić-Kafedžić, L., & Clarke-Habibi, S. (2025). Transitions in education and peacebuilding across Bosnia and Herzegovina: Reclaiming the human and relational dimensions of teaching and learning. Journal of Southeastern Europe, Special Issue on Bosnia and Herzegovina in Transition. (Forthcoming). Komatsu, T. (2021). Institutionalist perspectives on the dynamics of post-conflict education reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Comparative Education, 57(4), 519-537. Komatsu, T. (2023). Education and social cohesion in a post-conflict and divided nation. Springer. Meyer, J. W., J. Boli, G. M. Thomas, and F. O. Ramirez, (1997). World society and the nation-state. American Journal of Sociology, 103(1). 144–181. Saqipi, B. (2019). Understanding the relation of policy discourse and re-conceptualising curriculum: A Kosovo perspective on a new meaning of context. CEPS Journal, 9(2), 33-52. Schriewer, J. (2004). Multiple internationalities: The emergence of a world-level ideology and the persistence of idiosyncratic world-views. In C. Charle, J. Schriewer, & P. Wagner (Eds.), Transnational intellectual networks: Forms of academic knowledge and the search for cultural identities (pp. 473–533). Frankfurt am Main & New York: Campus. Steiner-Khamsi, G., and I. Stolpe. (2004). Decentralization and recentralization reform in Mongolia: Tracing the swing of the pendulum. Comparative Education, 40(1), 29–53.