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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Serbia to implement Bologna declaration fully by 2010

Belgrade, 9 November 2006

Serbian Assistant Minister of Education and Sport for higher education Emilija Stankovic said today that Serbia is expected to fully implement the Bologna declaration by 2010 and thus harmonise its higher education with that of Europe.

Author: Fonet

Speaking at a conference "Bologna process in Serbia: the First year of implementation of the Law on higher education", Stankovic recalled that since 2003, when the Bologna Declaration was signed, the Ministry of Education and Sport has adopted several rule books, including the one on the registry of institutions of higher education.

A national council for higher education was also formed, as well as an accreditation commission. She added that accreditation norms and standards have been made in line with European criteria and that they are in line with the Law on higher education.

Representative of the Commission for accreditation and verification of quality of higher education institutions Vera Dondur said that accreditations will first be granted to post-secondary schools and then to faculties.

Dondur said that in this way, universities in Serbia will have an opportunity to show the quality of their teaching staff and studies.

According to her, private schools and faculties are also subject to accreditation, while institutions that do not satisfy the criteria will be sent an "act of warning" in order to remove the deficiencies. However, the Commission is not authorised to close institutions of higher education that do not meet the required standards.

Representative of the Council of Europe Sarah Keating said that the implementation of the Law on higher education and the reform of higher education in Serbia will be examined in the Report on the implementation of the Bologna process, which will be presented in one month.

She said that the autonomy of universities, as well as their integration, are crucial for Serbia's entry into the European university community and European integration processes.

Keating recalled that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe raised an issue of relaxation of the visa regime for western Balkans countries since that would improve academic exchange and implementation of the Bologna process in Serbia.