The SINCERE project – Strengthening Integrity and Ethical Culture in Regional Higher Education – works to build a stronger culture of academic honesty and ethical behaviour in universities across Albania and Kosovo. It brings together higher education institutions that share the same goal: to make fairness, trust, and accountability the foundation of teaching, research, and university governance.
Through joint efforts, SINCERE develops institutional frameworks for academic integrity, introduces digital tools to detect plagiarism and unethical practices, and trains staff and students to recognise and prevent academic misconduct. The project also tackles regional challenges such as unequal access to opportunities and the ongoing “brain drain,” by promoting transparency and confidence in higher education.
Funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union under the Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) Strand 1, the project runs for 36 months, bringing together universities and organisations from Albania, Kosovo, Romania, Poland, Republic of Serbia and Hungary. Together, they aim to foster lasting change in how integrity and quality are embedded in higher education across the Western Balkans.
WP1 – Project Management and Quality Architecture
Lead Institution: Fan S. Noli University, Korçë (UNIKO)
Co-Leader for Quality Assurance: WEBIN
Duration: Month 1 – Month 36
Overview
WP1 ensures the strategic, administrative, and financial management of SINCERE. It coordinates all WPs, oversees quality assurance, manages reporting to the EACEA, maintains communication structures, implements risk management procedures, and ensures that the project progresses according to plan. This WP also conducts the external evaluation.
WP2 – Academic Integrity Analysis and Framework Development
Lead Institution: WSB University (Poland) and Eqrem Çabej University (ECUG) – co-leaders
Duration: Month 4 – Month 21
Overview
WP2 provides the analytical and conceptual foundation of SINCERE. It conducts institutional baseline assessments, maps existing policies, identifies integrity gaps, and drafts the Academic Integrity Framework (AIF) aligned with European standards. It includes extensive consultations with staff, students, QA units, and leadership, ensuring that the Framework responds to the real needs of partner HEIs.
WP3 – Capacity Building, Digital Tools, and Piloting
Lead Institutions: UBT Prishtinë (Kosovo) & West University of Timișoara (UVT) – co-leaders
Duration: Month 12 – Month 33
Overview
WP3 operationalises the Academic Integrity Framework by equipping institutions with the necessary skills, tools, and structures. It introduces plagiarism detection systems, develops e-learning resources, trains academic and administrative staff, strengthens student involvement, and pilots the AIF in each institution. UBT leads the development of secure monitoring dashboards.
WP4 – Dissemination, Communication, and Sustainability
Lead Institution: Western Balkans Institute (WEBIN)
Co-Leader for Sustainability: UNIKO
Duration: Month 1 – Month 36
Overview
WP4 ensures the visibility of project activities, the dissemination of results, and the long-term sustainability of the Academic Integrity Framework. Activities target academic communities, QA bodies, ministries, students, media, and regional HEIs. The Work Package also leads the establishment of the Regional Academic Integrity Network (RAIN).
The SINCERE consortium unites nine institutions from Albania, Kosovo, Romania, Poland, Serbia, and Hungary, working together to strengthen academic integrity and ethical governance in higher education. Each partner contributes specific expertise, from digital innovation and quality assurance to ethics policy and regional cooperation. Led by Fan S. Noli University of Korçë (Albania), the partnership combines local insight with European experience to build lasting frameworks for transparency, fairness, and trust across universities in the Western Balkans.
Project Coordinator
Fan S. Noli University of Korçë (UNKO) – Albania
As project coordinator, UNKO ensures the effective implementation of all SINCERE activities. With long experience in EU-funded projects, the university leads management, monitoring, and evaluation, guiding partners toward a shared culture of academic integrity and institutional transparency.
Project Partners
Eqrem Çabej University of Gjirokastër (EÇUG) – Albania
EÇUG co-leads the development of the Academic Integrity Framework, building on its strong background in educational policy and research evaluation. It supports the creation of institutional procedures that adapt integrity principles to the regional higher-education context.
University of Medicine Tirana (UMT) – Albania
UMT contributes expertise in ethics and university governance. Its academic staff lead training sessions and ensure that integrity standards are embedded into the daily practice of teaching and research.
University of Prizren “Ukshin Hoti” (UPZ) – Kosovo
UPZ coordinates pilot implementation and staff training in Kosovo. Drawing on its regional engagement and inclusive approach, it helps universities integrate the new Academic Integrity Framework into their institutional policies.
University for Business and Technology (UBT) – Kosovo
UBT co-leads the work on digital tools, applying its IT expertise to design and test the faculty-performance dashboard and plagiarism-detection system. It also supports digital training for academic and administrative staff.
West University of Timișoara (UVT) – Romania
UVT brings strong European experience in educational innovation and digital transformation. It ensures user feedback and usability inform the design of new integrity tools and supports regional capacity-building activities.
WSB University – Poland
WSB contributes EU-level expertise in institutional reforms and quality management. As co-leader of the policy framework work package, it aligns project outcomes with international academic-integrity standards.
Western Balkans Institute (WEBIN) – Serbia
WEBIN leads dissemination and sustainability activities. It coordinates the creation of the Regional Academic Integrity Network, ensuring that collaboration among partner universities continues beyond the project’s lifetime.
Associated Partner
HUN-REN Research Centre for the Humanities – Hungary
As the project’s associated partner, HUN-REN provides research expertise and comparative analysis on European ethics policies. It supports the consortium with insights on aligning academic-integrity standards to EU best practices.
Kick-off Meeting of the SINCERE Project Held at Fan S. Noli University
On 26–27 November 2025, the Kick-off Meeting of the SINCERE Project was hosted by Fan…