This year, 109 students enrolled in the first year of Subotica Faculty of Economics’ Department in Bujanovac, who will have their classes both in Serbian and Albanian, said Nenad Vunjak, the dean of the Faculty of Economics in Subotica. The academic 2013/2014 year began at the Faculty  yesterday.

Subotica Faculty of Economics’ Department was opened in Bujanovac two years ago. It is attended by 250 students, out of whom 83 are in the second year and 68 in the third year of study.

Classes in Serbian are conducted by professors of the Faculty of Economics in Subotica, while those in Albanian are conducted by professors of the Macedonian State University in Tetovo.

At the ceremony of awarding student’s university booklets to the freshmen in Bujanovac, Nenad Vunjak said that the faculty’s biggest problem was the lack of room, and the fact that the classes were held in two locations in Bujanovac.  

In addition to Mr.Vunjak, the ceremony was attended by Zoran Stankovic, President of the Coordination Body for the Municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, Nagip Arifi, Mayor of Bujanovac, Vulnet Ameti, Rector of the University of Tetovo, Muhadin Fijuljanin, State Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Michael Davenport, Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, and Peter Burkhard, Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia.

Zoran Stankovic, President of the Coordination Body for the Municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, said that the promise that Subotica Faculty of Economics’ Department in Bujanovac would get its building by the beginning of this academic year wasn’t fulfilled due to unresolved property issues, but that he expected that the faculty’s building would be completed by the  next year. According to him, one million and a half euros was provided for construction of the building.  

The students were addressed by Michael Davenport, Head of EU Delegation to Serbia, who said that "the opening of the Faculty of Economics’Department in Bujanovac in 2011  was a great success and that it was an important day for Bujanovac and the Albanian community in Serbia. "

Mr. Davenport also said that the EU member states, which helped South Serbia and financed infrastructure projects over the previous ten years, would continue to provide this support in the future, too.

Peter Burkhard, Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, said that the key to progress and development of South Serbia was the "provision of the best possible level of education."  He added that it was a good idea that students acquired education in two languages, because "the more languages you can speak, the more European you are," and urged them to invest their knowledge and skills in their city upon their graduation

Source: Beta and the Coordination Body