17 Sep Ninoslav Šćukanec Schmidt, Executive Director
Ninoslav Šćukanec Schmidt is the founder and Executive Director (since 1999) of the Institute for the Development of Education in Zagreb, Croatia. With over two decades of experience, he has dedicated his career to shaping higher education policies across Europe and beyond. His expertise includes institutional governance, strategic management, financing, equity, inclusion, the social dimension, community engagement, and quality assurance in higher education, as well as the development of qualifications frameworks.
Ninoslav has played an influential role in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) as co-chair of the Bologna Follow-up Group’s (BFUG) Working Group on Social Dimension from 2018 to 2024. During this time, he led two key initiatives: the adoption of the ‘Principles and Guidelines for Social Dimension’ within the 2020 Rome Ministerial Communiqué and the development of the first ‘EHEA Framework for the Social Dimension’, endorsed by the 47 EHEA member states at the 2024 Tirana Ministerial Conference. These milestones, featuring principles, guidelines, indicators, and descriptors for the social dimension, are shaping public policies on equity and inclusion in higher education across the EHEA.
Beyond the EHEA, Ninoslav serves as an expert for the Council of Europe, contributing to the development of its Higher Education Policy portfolio and participating in the Working Group on the Democratic Mission of Higher Education. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the World Access to Higher Education Network (WAHEN), where he advises policymakers and governments worldwide on equity and inclusion in higher education.
In Croatia, he has significantly influenced the national higher education landscape. He was a member of the Accreditation Council of the Croatian Agency for Science and Higher Education (2010–2018) and the Governing Board of the National Center for External Evaluation of Education (2013–2021). He also served on the National Council for Human Resources Development (2014–2019) and the National Committee for Enhancing the Social Dimension of Higher Education (2015–2021).
As a consultant, Ninoslav has collaborated with leading international organizations such as the World Bank, Council of Europe, and European Commission, as well as various governments, universities, and professional organizations. His numerous publications on higher education policy continue to shape inclusive, sustainable, and innovative education systems globally.