Strengthening the Student Role in Governance and Management of the Universities of Serbia in line with the Bologna Process (SIGMUS) Zlatibor, 17th December 2010. Why SIGMUS? Current situation in student representative bodies and student organizations in Serbia Aleksandar Jovic, Member of Executive Board, Student Alliance of Belgrade

Higher Education Reform in Serbia BOLOGNA PROCESS IMPLEMENTED by The Law on Higher Education in 2005. PLACE, ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY OF STUDENTS HAVE NOT YET CLEARLY DEFINED AND RECOGNISED. The only form of the institutional student participation in HE institutions governance is the Student Parliament, defined in The Law on Higher Education. The Law on Higher Education defined Students conference of universities and Students conference of academies of applied studies as national students representatives bodies.

Students’ problems Not adequately informed about possibilities and ways to actively participate. Do not have skills to transform and improve the system. Are not aware of the role and responsibilities that they could and should have. Do not have sufficient motivation to participate in student activism.

Student Parliaments’ problems Student Parliament is defined by The Law on Higher Education. However, the functions, mechanisms for act, methods for election and establishment, finances and areas of activity of student parliaments are not clearly defined. In practice students’ impact is weak. Students-members of the educational-scientific councils are left out from planning or solving the problems of the educational process. Influence of politics.

Student organizations’ problems Activities of student organizations are not formally integrated and are often faced with lack of financial means: they very often do not possess neither adequate offices, nor skills and equipment for regular activities. No Law on Student Organizing in Serbia. No a database of all student organizations in Serbia.

Current situation All HE institution have Student parliament. Students conference of universities and Students conference of academies of applied studies are establish. No national students organization. Students representatives formally included into decision-making bodies in HE Youths of political parties are very interested on students organizing.

To do list Improvement of the legal and organizational framework for students’ participation in governance and management in higher education institution No national students organization. To place students in the centre of the higher education activities in line with Bologna principles, advantageously to final outcomes of this endeavor. To develop efficient and competent student services, in order to improve the quality of study process as well as to make the students’ everyday life easier and more comfortable.

Thank you for attention! Hvala na pažnji!