Kick-off for the Hawking Project: enhancing access to higher education for people with disabilities

At the University of Montenegro, the kick-off meeting for the Hawking project is currently underway, marking the start of the projects implementation. The project unites fifteen partner institutions, including three from Montenegro, four from Bosnia and Herzegovina, two each from Serbia and Albania, and one each from Turkey, Cyprus, Slovenia, and Portugal.

The University of Montenegro is the coordinator of the Hawking project, led by UCGs Vice-Rector for Teaching, Prof. Dr. Veselin Mićanović. The projects goals are centered on establishing mechanisms for inclusive digital transition from secondary to higher education, with a focus on students with disabilities, as well as improving the institutional and infrastructural environment.

The project draws inspiration from the life and achievements of the renowned 20th-century physicist, Dr. Stephen Hawking, and his journey to success despite the disability caused by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), diagnosed at the age of 22. He reached the pinnacle of his field despite his disability, profoundly changing societys perception of people with disabilities by proving that everything is achievable, provided there are appropriate support means available.

According to the project description, the key issues to be addressed are the limited accessibility of students with disabilities in higher education institutions in the Western Balkans and the inequality of support for completing studies arising from the low use of digital services, mechanisms, and tools. In the Western Balkans, the number of students with disabilities is increasing, along with the need to leverage digital transformation and address existing digital gaps for these student groups. On average, 15% of students in the education system live with some form of physical disability (most of which are related to visual and hearing impairments and mobility issues), while over 20% have various mental disorders. The project will specifically focus on the limited existing practices of collaboration between secondary and higher education institutions through digital tools and the adoption of new practices of digital transition between educational levels.

The kick-off meeting for the Hawking project will last until March 1st.