The accelerated pace of the Bologna Process implementation has interested new EU Member States particularly in fostering the exchange with more established EU States of experiences in attracting third-country students to their higher education institutions. Helping to promote a specific European region will also strengthen the competitiveness of the whole European Higher Education Area.

The project is based on close partnership between three East-Central European (ECE) institutions - the Balassi Institute, the National Agency for European Educational Programmes and the Slovak Academic Information Agency - for the promotion of higher education, and two professional European agencies - CampusFrance and DAAD.

The overall aims of the project are:

• to enhance the visibility and attractiveness of East-Central Europe - an important part of the European Higher Education Area - outside the European Union;
• capacity building of the staff of both the national agencies of ECE project partners and higher education institutions interested in the internationalisation of their institutions;
• to favour better knowledge and understanding among the partners of their respective education systems.

An additional intention is to raise awareness among political decision-makers and university management in ECE countries concerning the need for institutionalising higher education promotion in non-European Union countries.