SERBIA: Preserving tradition under Bologna

Despite a 200-year tradition, Serbia is facing challenges in its higher education sector - chiefly the adoption of European standards and accession to a common European education system - writes Bojana Milovanovic for the Southeast European Times.

In 2003 Serbia signed the Bologna Declaration, a key document endorsed by 46 countries. The agreement envisions establishing a single university space and introducing equal standards for instruction and grading in European countries. This will allow disparate degrees to be valued on equal footing in the European labour market.

At a recent ministerial conference on higher education in Leuven, Belgium, Serbia received 3.8 points out of five for progress it has made in implementing the Bologna Declaration over the past three years. It ranked 24th out of the 46 countries, though it was among the last to have started implementing the declaration. Education Minister Zarko Obradovic said he was satisfied with Serbia's score, but aspects of higher education should be changed.
Full report on the Southeast European Times