Belic: Education, science crucial for Serbia's recovery

BELGRADE - A great challenge lies before the academic community and the University of Belgrade (UB), to give their contribution to the recovery of the country, it was pointed out on Friday at the ceremony marking 206th anniversary of the oldest and largest higher education institution in Serbia.

"Our country is in a difficult situation, the national debt is rising, the economy is not functioning as well as it could, so it is important for the academic community to show why education and science are essential for the country," State Secretary at the Serbian Ministry of Education Aleksandar Belic said at the ceremony.

Higher education and science should play crucial role in Serbia's recovery but the entire academic community needs to make its contribution, said Belic.
UB Rector Vladimir Bumbasirevic pointed out that the way out of the crisis is much more difficult to find without stable funding for science.

The growth of UB, which now comprises 31 faculties, spans two centuries, Bumbasirevic said. Over time, the UB found its place among the top two percent of universities around the world, based on several international university rankings, most notably the prestigious Shanghai list.

The number of foreign students at the UB currently stands at around 4,000, but the university would like to increase this number, Bumbasirevic said.

Around 50 percent of foreign students come from the countries in the region, and those coming from other parts of the world often face visa issues.
"I hope that the Ministry of Education will provide assistance in helping foreign students be granted entry visas more easily and for longer periods of time," he said.

Rector Bumbasirevic noted that upon its foundation...