Higher Education Development in Preševo and Bujanovac
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HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT IN PREŠEVO AND BUJANOVAC Feasibility Study on the Opportunities for Higher Education Development in South Serbia 1 Centre for Non-Violent Resistance and Centre for Education Policies Belgrade, 2010 2 SADRŽAJ SUMMARY 5 INTRODUCTION 17 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 23 The Role of Education in Development 23 Integration versus Assimilation and Segregation 27 DESCRIPTION AND BRIEF HISTORY OF PREŠEVO, BUJANOVAC AND MEDVEĐA 31 ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN BUJANOVAC AND PREŠEVO 37 Key Economic Indicators 37 Economic resources 39 Population 39 Educational structure of population 41 Able-bodied population 44 Employment and Unemployment 44 Conclusion 49 DESCRIPTION OF THE SERBIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK 53 Description of the Education System in the Republic of Serbia 53 Establishment of a Higher-Education Institution and Higher-Education Units 57 Financing Higher-Education Institutions Established by the Republic 58 Education of National Minorities 59 DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AND THE THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK 61 Study Description 62 ANALYSIS 67 3 Problems 67 Solutions 74 Standpoints 78 Analysis of the Results 85 Possible Solutions for the Development of Higher Education 87 CASE STUDIES 99 Introduction 99 AUTONOMOUS PROVINCE OF VOJVODINA: ORGANIZATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION FOR MINORITIES ON THE TERRITORY OF THE AUTONOMOUS PROVINCE OF VOJVODINA 101 Introduction 101 Methodology 102 The Description of Vojvodina 102 Legislative Framework Relating to the Rights of Minorities 106 Official Languages and Minority Education 108 The System of Higher Education in Vojvodina 113 The Ethnic Structure of Students 116 Legal Framework Relating to the Higher Education of National Minorities in Vojvodina 118 The Use of National Minority Languages in Higher Education 120 Languages of Instruction at Colleges for Professional Career Studies 122 Languages of Instruction at Faculties 123 Conclusion 125 MONTENEGRO 127 Introduction 127 Methodology 127 Context 128 The Republic of Montenegro 128 A Brief Overview of Ethnic Relations in the Republic of Montenegro 132 Legal Framework and Treatment of Minorities 133 Minority Education 136 Provisions of the Law on Minority Rights and Freedoms Relating to Education 136 Book of Changes and the Laws Relating to Education 138 Higher Education for Minorities 141 Teacher Studies at the University of Montenegro in the Albanian Language 142 Analysis of Higher Education for Minorities in Montenegro Based on the Interview Analysis 145 Conclusion 149 MACEDONIA 153 Introduction 153 Methodology 153 Background 153 The Republic of Macedonia 153 Legal Framework and Relations with Minorities 157 Education of Minorities 165 4 Primary and Secondary Education 165 Organization of Higher Education in the Republic of Macedonia 167 Higher Education for Minorities 169 The Process of Establishing a Higher Education Facility – Experiences and Advice 176 Conclusion 177 CONCLUSIONS 179 ANNEX: SCENARIOS 185 Institutional framework for the development of higher education in Preševo and Bujanovac 186 Scenario A. University Founded by the Republic 186 Scenario B. University founded by a legal entity or a natural person 195 Scenario C. Higher Education Unit with Legal Personality (Faculty) 197 Scenario D. Higher Education Unit without Legal Personality 199 THE AUTHORS 203 ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONS 209 CENTRE FOR NON-VIOLENT RESISTANCE (CNR) 209 BIBLIOGRAPHY 212 SUMMARY The text hereof is based on the feasibility study of opportunities for the development of higher educa- tion in the territory of the Preševo and Bujanovac municipalities, located in South Serbia. The aim of the study is not only to present an analysis and recommendations relating to creating opportunities for higher education in the minority language in the municipalities of Preševo and Bujanovac. The primary goal of the study is to provide a practical and theoretical framework for resolving the issue of national minority education, in the context of successful integration, exercise of human and minority rights and a joint contribution to economic, social and political development of the country and the region. The development of higher education in these municipalities is driven by the need to provide educati- on for the Albanian community in their mother tongue, as well as the intention to increase the overall level of education among the population as a precondition for economic development of the region and successful cooperation and integration among ethnic groups - the Albanian, Romani and Serbian communities. A higher education institution was opened in Medveđa in the 2009/10 academic year, providing teaching in Serbian and Albanian. The establishment of bilingual higher education program- mes (law and economy) in Medveđa indicated a series of open issues relating to higher education of members of the Albanian national minority in South Serbia. The Coordination Body of the Government 5 of the Republic of Serbia for the Municipalities of Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa (hereinafter: the Coordination Body), which facilitated the opening of higher education institutions in Medveđa in- co operation with the Ministry of Education, decided to implement a different approach to tackling the issue of higher education in the municipalities of Bujanovac and Medveđa. In consultations with the representatives of the Ministry of Education, it was concluded that the analysis of stakeholders and/or partners-to-be should be conducted, as well as an analysis of higher education in the region. Having in mind that the Coordination Body does not have the capacities to conduct such demanding and com- prehensive research, it was decided that non-government organizations with many years of experience in these areas should be entrusted with the preparation of the analysis. The Study is a result of joint work of the Centre for Non-violent Resistance (hereinafter: CNR), a non- government organization from Belgrade which has implemented projects in South Serbia, and the Centre for Education Policy (hereinafter: CEP), also from Belgrade, as a principal author of the expert segment of the Study. The CEP Research Team was established in August 2009 gathering Jana Baćević (Coordinator of the Research Team), Ivana Božić, Tajana Brkanović, Vanja Ivošević, Marija Mitrović, Ivan Rajković and Jasmina Selmanović. Mihajlo Babin and Iskra Maksimović from the Faculty of Economy, Finance and Administration of the Singidunum University of Belgrade (hereinafter: FEFA), took part in the development of economic and financial aspects of the analysis. The case studies were conducted by Tajana Brkanović and Ivana Stanojev (Montenegro), Tanja Ivošević (Macedonija) and Norbert Šabić (Vojvodina). Slobodan Bošković was the Project Coordinator, with Ivana Stanojev as Assistant. Unim- peded and quality research activities in the Preševo and Bujanovac municipalities were facilitated by Local Coordinators Rahim Salihu and Predrag Belej, as well as Gazmend Selmani. The coordination of field research, as well as the analysis of the constitutional framework of minority rights in Macedonia was facilitated by Marija Stambolieva. Danijela Nenadić took part in the preparation of the study as a representative of the Coordination Body. Putting together a team that would involve all partners most effectively, the CNR, the CEP and the Coordination Body turned to the OSCE in Serbia and the Office of the High Representative for National Minorities seated in Hague for help. The OSCE High Representati- ve for National Minorities Knut Vollebaek supported the development of the study by providing exper- tise (professional input) and engaging the consultant Sebastian Dworack to assist the Research Team. The Study was reviewed by Paola Petrić and Vanja Ivošević. The Study was proofread by Ana Luković, with assistance of Romana Radulović and Dragana Prodanović. The Study was edited by Vanja Ivošević and Ana Luković. The Study was supported financially by the Fond for an Open Society, the Department for International 6 Development – DfID of the United Kingdom, the Balkan Trust for Democracy – BTD and the Coordinati- on Body for the Municipalities of Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa of the Government of the Republic of Sebia. This study is a result of close cooperation and partnership between the non-government sec- tor, state authorities and international community representatives. The Study contains nine chapters. The Introduction outlines the framework of the Study. The theoretical framework describes a scientific and theoretical background of the topics that the Study tackles, namely: the significance of education (in particular higher education) for economic, soci- al and political development; the role of education in post-conflict societies; the significance of educa- tion for the members of minority communities, as well as the transformation of paradigms in minority education from assimilation, through segregation to integration. The description and history of the situation in Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa outlines the social and political context of the immediate history and contemporary times, as well as the relationships between the national communities in the municipalities (Serbian, Albanian, Romani), of relevance for understanding the situation in South Serbia. The economic effects of higher education development in Preševo and Bujanovac analyze the contem- porary economic situation in these municipalities, taking into account the development level in large (state-owned