THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FACULTY FROM ITS ESTABLISHMENT UNTIL TODAY
In this year, 2011, the Faculty of Economics, University of Pristina, with temporary seat in Kosovska Mitrovica, celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of its establishment and work. Five decades in the functioning of higher education institution, seams to be a good basis to analyze the achieved results, evaluate accomplishments in work and create the prerequisites for planning future development.
Five decades ago, in striving for balanced socio-economic development of all its parts, the competent authorities of the Republic of Serbia created the conditions for intensive development of advanced education in Kosovo and Metohija.
According to data from that period, in this extremely underdeveloped area of our country, there were 77 economists, most of who worked in the secondary economic schools of former Autonomous area of Kosovo and Metohija, with about 930,000 inhabitants. Faster economic and overall social development of this area, required great number of educated people, that will using their knowledge and skills, become a locomotive of overall development in all spheres of social life. It was, under the current circumstances, a very bold, but also a noble undertaking. It should be recalled that at the time this part of our country was in an extremely low degree of civilized development, the low cultural level and with a slight educational and scientific tradition. Immediately after the liberation from the occupying forces, over 80% of the population was illiterate. In addition, the number of persons with higher and secondary education was negligible. Thus, for example, in the 278 four-year schools, classes been derived by only 460 teachers, 202 of whom in Albanian language.
The rapid development of, above all, secondary school education, comes in the sixties. In 1958/59 academic year, Higher Pedagogical School in Pristina began its work, as the first advanced education school in Kosovo and Metohija. The first university in Kosovo began its work in the 1960/61 academic year. It was the Faculty of Philosophy, from which ultimately formed the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences and the Faculty of Philology.
Growing demands for law and economic experts in Kosovo and Metohija, whose total development at that time was very dynamic, led the Executive Council of the Serbian Parliament, on June 13, 1961 to submit a proposal of the establishment of the Faculty of Law and Economics in Pristina, to the president of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia. Explaining the proposal for the establishment of higher education institutions, the Executive Council has highlighted the fact that the socio-economic development of Kosovo and Metohija accelerated and requires more intensive education of professionals for the economy and social services, and that the needs in this part of our country are a priority.
At its meeting held on June 23, 1961 the Republican Council of the Assembly of Serbia adopted the Law on the Establishment of the Faculty of Law and Economics the text reads as follows:
“THE LAW OF ESTABLISHING THE FACULTY OF LAW AND ECONOMICS IN PRISTINA
Article 1
Faculty of Law and Economics in Pristina is founded / hereinafter referred to as Faculty /.
Article 2
Faculty is an autonomous institution with legal entity.
Article 3
The Faculty is part of the University of Belgrade.
Article 4
The task of the Faculty is to prepare experts in the field of law and economic sciences, and to perform other rights and duties specified by the General Law on faculties and universities.
Article 5
The faculty organizes and operates under the provisions of General Law on faculties and universities, its own statutes and regulations governing the organization and operation of the faculty.
The Executive Council of the National Assembly of People’s Republic of Serbia authorizes to appoint members of the Council until the adoption of Statute.
Article 6
Faculty finances in a manner determined by the Basic Law on financing of education.
Article 7
The beginning of work of the Faculty will determine the University Council of Belgrade University.
Article 8
Initial election of teachers of the Faculty will be carried out no later than September 30, 1961 by The Register’s commission that the University Council of Belgrade University will form.
Article 9
Until the establishment of Statute, instruction in the Faculty will be performed by temporary curriculum, which determines the university administration with the approval of the University Council of Belgrade University.
Article 10
This Law shall enter into force upon publication in the Official Journal of the People’s Republic of Serbia. “
After the publication in the Official Journal of the Republic of Serbia, the Law on the Establishment of the Faculty of Law and Economics in Pristina came into force on July 8, 1961.
Considering the fact that according to the Article 3 of the Law, the Faculty was part of the Faculty of Belgrade University, University Council of Belgrade University established the Register’s commission with a mandate to carry out all preparations for the start of faculty. Members of the Register’s Commission appointed by the University Council, University of Belgrade, were: Dr. Borislav Blagojevic, Rector of the University of Belgrade, Dr.Dimitrije Misic, Dean of the Faculty of Economics in Belgrade, Dr Radivoje Davidovic, Full time Professor of the Faculty of Economics in Belgrade, Dr Pavle Dimitrijevic, Associate Professorof the Faculty of Law in Belgrade and Dr Zoran Pjanic, Associate Professor of the Faculty of Economics in Belgrade.
In the first conference, held on June 28, 1961 in Pristina, the Register’s commission elected Dr Dimitrije Misic president. At this meeting, they decided to call a tender for the election of the first teachers and assistants for courses on the curriculum of the Statute of Faculty of Law and Faculty of Economics, University of Belgrade. They also decided to announce the admission for students in a first semester of instruction in the first level, on the terms and conditions for enrollment as they were at Faculties of Law and Economics, University of Belgrade.
At its second conference, held on September 14, 1961, the Register s Commission completed first election of teachers and assistants of the Faculty. At this conference decided that instruction on the first year of studies would start on October 9, 1961.
The third conference of the Register’s Commission held on October 7, 1961. At that conference, they elected an additional number of teachers and assistants. Since the same day, the constitution of the Faculty management and the Faculty Council were committed as well as the election of the Dean and Vice Dean, Register Commission concluded its work.
After its establishment, and confirmation of the election of teaching staff at the first conference, held on October 7, 1961, under the leadership of the President of the Registers Commission, Dr Dimitrije Misic, the first meeting of the faculty management was held. Dr. Jovica Patrnogić, Associate professor was elected Dean, and Dr. Mark Krasniqi, Associate professor was elected Vice Dean.
By the decision on determining the number and the election of members of Council of the Faculty of Law and Economics, in Pristina, the Executive Council of the National Assembly of People’s Republic of Serbia, elected on July 13, 1961, members of the Faculty Council. They were: Cevdet Hamza, Vice President of the National Committee of Autonomous area of Kosovo and Metohija , Ilija Djukic, Secretary of the Executive Council of Autonomous area of Kosovo and Metohija, Bora Drmončić, Vice President of the Regional Council of Trade Unions, Ramadan Vraniqi, National Chairman of the Municipality of Pristina, Bosko Dimitrijevic, Director of the Institute for Economic Planning of Autonomous area of Kosovo and Metohija, Tahir Ibrani, President of the District Court in Pristina, Radivoje Nikolic, President of the Commercial District Court in Prishtina and Fevzi Nojani, an official of the National Board of Autonomous area of Kosovo and Metohija. The same decision determined that all members of the Register’s Commission enter the composition of the Council until the election of five faculty members from the university management. Thus, the first Council constitution members were also Borislav Blagojevic, Rector of the University of Belgrade, Dr. Dimitrije Misic, Dean of the Faculty of Economics in Belgrade, Radivoje Davidovic, Professor of Faculty of Economics, University of Belgrade, Dr Pavle Dimitrijevic, Associate Professor of Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade and Zoran Pjanic, Associate Professor of Faculty of Economics, University of Belgrade.
The first meeting of the Council of the Faculty, held on October 7, 1961. After selecting Ilija Djukic, the Secretary of the Executive Council of Autonomous area of Kosovo and Metohija, President of the Faculty Council, they confirmed the election of teachers and associates, made at previous meetings of the Register Commission. On October 7, 1961, celebration of establishment and start of work of the Faculty of Law and Economics held in the large hall of the JNA in Pristina,
Admission to the first year of studies in both departments of the Faculty / law and economics /, was announced by the decision of the Register Commission, which was adopted at the meeting held on June 28, 1961. This admission announced the same terms from the general admission for new students in all faculties of the University of Belgrade. Enrollment was not limited to the number of students. The first year students enrolled during October. On the economic department enrolled a total of 549 students / 113 of whom Albanians /. For full time studies enrolled 157 students / 64 of whom Albanians /.
Classes began on October 11, and until the end of the winter semester were performed in two classrooms of Advanced Administrative School, in the building of “Ivo Lola Ribar” High School. Thanks to the help of the National Committee of the municipality of Pristina, an agreement was reached with the Command of military districts, to give a separate building within the former military barracks to the Faculty. Adaptation work of the building was completed at the beginning of the 1962. Total area was 3250 square meters, which completely fulfilled initial requirements of the Faculty. In the beginning of 1971, the construction of new building of the Faculty was completed, consisting amphitheater, reading room and a hall for meetings. In the year of 1974, the construction of annexes was completed, which provided sufficient space to work for two newly formed faculties, with the total area of 12,836 square meters.
Instruction in the first year was performed by the temporary curriculum, which was adopted at the meeting of the Faculty Council, on December 25, 1961. In this curriculum, which is slightly modified version of the curriculum of the Faculty of Economics in Belgrade, the instruction was performed until July 1962, when the Statute of the Faculty of Law and Economics established a permanent curriculum. Gradual courses and guidance were abolished, following the Statute that was adopted in 1966. With minor changes, that statute was in effect until the end 1970/71 academic year.
In early 1962, first departments were established at the Faculty. On the Economic department of the Faculty, were established the Department of Economics of Enterprise, whose first head was Dr. Milos Bogdanovic, Associate Professor, and Department of Economics of Yugoslavia, whose head was Dr. Mark Krasniqi, Associate professor.
Departments had an important function of development of the teaching process, teacher training and collaboration with other departments in the faculties of economics in the country, as well as intensifying cooperation with major business organizations. These departments later developed new ones, primarily due to the further development of the curriculum of the Faculty.
During the 1962/63 academic year, the Department of Economics of Enterprise, founded the Center for Economic and Social Research, whose activity was focused on providing and engaging staff and ensuring financial resources for the implementation of programs and work plans. In late 1965, the Center was renamed the Institute for Social Economic Research, and for the first director was appointed Dragutin Grupković, lecturer. Bringing together more than fifty employees, the Institute has completed many research projects in the field of regional development, improving the organization and operation of individual business units, researching the various parameters of social standards, and the like. Cooperation with relevant institutions of Law and Economics in Belgrade was established, as well as with other relevant institutions in the country, business organizations, and social community authorities. Thus, the conditions for the realization of the ambitious program of scientific research, which engaged great number of teachers, were created.
Some initial difficulties in the development, the Faculty overcame through collaboration with related universities in the country. They helped by sending their teachers in order to implement teaching process and the education of teachers at postgraduate and doctoral studies. They also helped by organizing and equipping a library, by adequate supply of literature, as well as by transfer of personal experiences through various forms of cooperation among the departments, which was particularly intensive with similar faculties in Belgrade, Skopje and Nis.
By the 1966/67 academic year, instruction at the Faculty was performed in the Serbian language, and starting from this academic year, lectures and exercises in some courses have begun to be performed in Albanian, according to the Faculty Council’s decision made on October 26, 1966. The entire instruction in Albanian language was performed starting from the 1970/71 academic year, when practically lessons at the faculty were performed simultaneously in Serbian and Albanian.
Considering this, management of the faculty decided to, using the job classification, provide equal number of teachers an associates that will teach, parallel and equal, in both languages.
Departments of the Faculty / law and economics / were developing very dynamically, so in the second half of the 1970, preparations began for the separation of law and economics departments and their transformation into independent faculties. At the meeting of Faculty Counsel, held on September 24, 1970 the Commission for preparation of department separation and the establishment of independent faculties was organized. Otherwise, by mid-February 1970, the Faculty was no longer part of the University of Belgrade, but one of the four faculties of the newly founded University of Pristina / Philosophy, Law and Economics, Technical and Medical Faculty /. The above-mentioned committee, headed by Mr. Zarko Bulatovic, has completed work according to which the Council of the Faculty, on October 8, 1970 decided on the separation of law and economic departments and their rising into independent faculties. Statutory decision on the division of Faculty of Law and Economics, University of Pristina to Faculty of Law in Pristina and Faculty of Economics in Pristina, was taken in the 15th session of the Faculty on January 15, 1971 after the referendum which took place at January 6, the same year.
According to the aforementioned decision, Faculty of Economics as an independent institution of high education, started work on October 1, 1971. The decision provided that, until the adoption of new curricula, teaching would be performed at the curriculum of departments of law and economics. According to its decisions, Faculty Council allocated resources, rights and obligations, as well as the schedule of the employees. The Faculty Council’s decision got the approval of the Provincial Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo on June 25, 1971.
Although the economic department at that time had only 13 teachers and assistants in full time employment and a large number of part-time associates, engaged mainly from Belgrade, Nis and Skopje, Faculty of Economics, as an independent institution, in 1970/71 academic year already had 44 teachers and staff in permanent employment. However, since the classes ran simultaneously in two languages, that number was insufficient and especially unfavorable were professional qualifications of teachers, because the total number was only 4 doctors of science and 23 teachers without a master’s degree. There were 10 assistant professors and some senior lecturers, which were not masters.
With independence, Faculty gradually began to close, especially towards the faculties of economics in Serbia, as illustrated by the fact that in the 1970/71 academic year, only four teachers from other universities were engaged. This has drastically affected instruction in Serbian language, more so because teachers and teaching assistants for the Albanian instruction, which is a long time regarded as deficient, were rapidly hired. Teaching in the Serbian language, mostly relied on hired, part-time teachers from other universities, because, the number of adequate people in Kosovo and Metohija was insignificant. From previous entreaties, and the decision by which it must provide equal development of both teachings, almost for a decade after the independence of the Faculty, there was nothing left. The established criteria for the enrollment of students of the province at one point reached the proportions of 4:1, i.e. to a student enrolled in instruction in the Serbian language, the four students enrolled on the instruction in Albanian. At the same time, it should be noted that on instruction in Albanian enrolled only Albanians, while in the Serbian instruction enrolled Serbs, Montenegrins, Muslims… even Kosovo Albanians, who was eager to, Turks and members of many other nationalities. Often it happened that in lessons in Serbian did not enroll even half quota of Serbs and Montenegrins, provided for instruction in Serbian language, so they became minority at their own classes.
The situation especially worsened by intensifying cooperation between the University of Pristina and Universities of Tirana and Zagreb. Each visit of guests from Tirana University accompanied euphoria, obviously not because of scientific capital gained from these encounters. This was particularly exposed upon the enemy, secessionist demonstrations in 1971. University of Zagreb became, at that time, a true paradise for the master’s and doctoral thesis for Albanian teaching stuff. According to data from 1987, from the total number of reported and defended master’s thesis by the teaching staff of our faculty, the University of Zagreb accounts for 50%, while the other half belongs to all other universities in the country. A similar situation was also with the doctoral thesis.
Teaching in the Serbian language became increasingly marginalized in many ways. First, as indicated above, based on a very small number of students enrolled, because of existing proportions in enrollment, which also narrowed the base of the personnel of graduates choosing to work as associates at the faculty. Then, because of mass emigration, which at the time dramatically disturbed the demographic structure of Kosovo and Metohija. Emigration was particularly pronounced among the high quality staff. People who emigrated were university professors and assistants, business professionals of all kinds of professions, students and their families, the population of towns and villages throughout Kosovo and Metohija. For the teaching in Serbian language were engaged mostly those teachers and staff who were not Serbian and Montenegrin nationality. All the important levers of governance and management at the University and faculties were in the hands of Albanian staff mebers, most often those most extreme. They started to demand the knowledge of the Albanian language at the meetings of the Faculty, which brought the existing staff members in a very awkward situation. Similar processes took place in all areas and in all spheres of social life in Kosovo and Metohija, which was by the 1974 Constitution, de facto, superior to the Republic of Serbia.
The door opened for admission of teachers for teaching in Albanian language, and the most extreme members of this nationality were accepted wholeheartedly, many of them from hostile families, migrant families, families with a fascist past, or members of the secret enemy cells, which, with all their energy , attacked the sovereignty of our country. Extremely minded Albanian political elite saw the University as a training ground for practicing protagonist of great Albanian, secessionist project and it is extensively used for the placement of their enemy ideas, intentions and actions. Faculties were used as generators of antagonism and destruction to our country and the backbone of the Great Albania idea in its most extreme version.
From the very beginning of the independent functioning of the Faculty, intention and main task of Albanian quasi intellectuals was to achieve process of ethnic cleansing, especially at the university. At our university, in addition to these forms of discrimination, was brought the practice of involving ethnic Albanian teachers in the teaching in the Serbian language, which are so obvious given the opportunity and responsibility to carry out programmed repression of Serbian teaching to the margin, until its final elimination. The development of teaching and scientific-educational process of all, apart from the Albanians was in all possible ways. In these extremely unfavorable, circumstances, only, the enormous efforts and persistent struggle of certain number of university employees, brave, intelligent and patriotic oriented, successfully preserved teaching in the Serbian language. Generous help was offered, above all, by the universities in Belgrade, Nis, Kragujevac, Novi Sad, and others, as well as the many friends of the Faculty, who had the time to recognize phenomena and processes, which were taking place in Kosovo and Metohija,
Practically, at that time, within the university community, hidden from the public, takes place an unequal struggle between two irreconcilable opposing ideas. One that has seen the faculty and the university as an opportunity for a civilizing step forward, and the other, secessionist, which tended to make true its retrograde projects.
When the hostility of the Albanian extremists escalated to the level of rebellion, with many Albanian staff members excelled with our faculty, came a period of exposure of their role in the preparation of secession, and immediately after their answer in the form of abandonment of all institutions and forms of legal action. Thus, at the beginning of the last decade of the last century on the orders of their political elites and the order and sponsoring of their foreign mentors, Albanians created a parallel, illegal educational system. Using the politicization of education, they tried to show that they allegedly threatened human and collective rights, without at the same time saying , that, as nowhere else in the world, they could , in their native language, study at all levels of education and to develop the scientific, educational and cultural institutions, which, for its quality far exceeded those in Albania. All that, thanks to huge investments of Serbia, in which permanent destruction they persist.
After these turbulent processes at the beginning of the last decade of the last century, teaching at the Faculty and its total activity, experience dynamic positive changes, where the priorities were: full recovery of the Faculty to its mission and to overcome all that is in the previous time hindered its development. In a relatively short time after that, Faculty experienced a complete renaissance and qualitative, quantitative and structural approach to its optimum.The curriculum was radically changed in an effort to follow the current trends of economic science in the world and for its implementation received a large number of teachers and staff. In addition to engaging in education, wide possibilities for scientific research at the Institute for Economic research, which originated on the basis of previous scientific research unit of the Faculty, were opened. Due to the increased number of students enrolled / in some years over 700 new students were enrolled at the first year of study /, has created a strong basis for recruitment of personnel of a large number of excellent graduate students, either for work on the faculty or institute. Very large, well attended, scientific meetings, of a very high quality and international character are organized ,publishing is intensified, inter-faculty cooperation is carried out with similar faculties in the country and beyond, providing quality support to the economy and social activities. Postgraduate studies are successfully organized. Thanks to that, the appropriate number of doctoral and master thesis are applied and defended.
Since the parallel educational system was established in Kosovo and Metohija in 1991/92 academic year, to overcome the resulting tensions and problems, Slobodan Milosevic, President of the FRY and Dr. Ibrahim Rugova signed the Agreement on Education on September 1, 1996. In order to perform this agreement, group “3 + 3” is formed, and on March 23, 1998 in the presence of members of the community “Sent Edigio” it signed and agreed upon the agreed measures. Within the realization of these measures, for teaching in Albanian, buildings of the Faculty of Economics and Law, with the total area of 12,836 square meters were handed over in 1998. Our faculty is located in the building of about 3,000 square meters, which was the gift of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Diocese of Raska and Prizren to the Ministry of Education of Serbia, specifically, for the education of students. Very soon, the building for teaching and professional service is equipped for undisturbed work, and the faculty continued its successful activity almost without great difficulty.
The Faculty has experienced new, dramatic impact at the time, and especially after the NATO aggression against our country, and the start of operation of the international mission in Kosovo and Metohija. It was, in the real sense, time of the crucial battle for the existence of the Faculty, which in those times was on the edge of the abyss. Faculty activities during the NATO aggression, took place very difficultly, in a reduced scale. Following the adoption of Resolution 1244 by UN Security Council and the arrival of international civilian and military missions in Kosovo and Metohija, instead of the process of order and enabling safe and normal life of the population of our country, it comes to the unseen persecution, with all the characteristics of genocide against our people, and all loyal citizens in our province
Furious groups of criminals and murderers, with the acquiescence of the international mission, using the most brutal methods of crime and the mafia, in a very short time, ethnically cleansed the greatest part of Kosovo and Metohija. Murders, kidnapping, arson, rape, robbery and abuse of all non-Albanians, including the Albanians, who did not accept secession as a model for solving the issue of Kosovo and Metohija, were widespread. A special target was Pristina, as a university center, which until then was the seat of 12 of the 14 faculties of our university as it was. Our faculty was attacked among the first. In a bloody crime, in the night of 23 and 24 June 1999, Dr. Milenko Lekovic, professor and our full-time workers Miodrag Mladenovic and Jovica Stamenkovic, were massacred in the building of our faculty. The building is occupied, robbed and vandalized. Our students, professors and associates and their families are expelled, their houses and apartments robbed. The building of the Faculty with all necessary facilities for carrying out the overall activity of our renowned institution is completely devastated. The dean’s office equipment is stolen as well as the equipment of professional services, teachers and stuff offices, office for informatics, technology and foreign languages, a library with over 12,000 titles of books and magazines, complete documentation of the faculty including the records for 12,000 students and 112 employees, which still are not available. All the furniture, of a great value, that equipped classrooms and offices is stolen and taken away. When, in August 1999, representatives of the Faculty and the University in the presence of representatives of the international mission, visited the Faculty, they found a situation, which was simply shocking. At several places, in a completely robbed building, water pipes and electrical cables were pulled out from the walls, and in the yard were broken safes with documents sticking out from the personal files of employees at the Faculty.
A beautifully made and decorated space, which is supposed to serve for the rise of civilization and progress, has been turned into nothing by the brutal act of vandalism. And all that with the destruction of human lives of our stuff members.
In a very short time, Pristina has been ethnically cleansed. In early September, in Pristina , according to the Committee of the Federal Government for communication with the international mission, were less than 300 Serbs and Montenegrins together with the deans and the Board of Rectors.
Despite the enormous efforts that are being committed by the University and Faculty leadership, to normalize the situation and prevent pogroms against our people and to create the basic conditions for the continuation of the teaching process and organizing the September exam period, there were no results. Not only that there was no return of our population, but also the expulsion was intensified, because of the horrible crimes that were committed throughout our province. Everyday, exhausting, encounters between the representatives of the University and faculty and the representatives of civilian and military missions, at all levels, have not offered a positive response in terms of ensuring safe work of our faculties. Therefore, in coordination with the Government of the Republic of Serbia, began preparations for organizing the September exam period at safe locations for all faculties.
By decision of the University Council, based on previously perceived conditions for organizing the September examination period by the dean of the Faculty, our faculty got certain space of the Cultural Center in Blace. Examination schedule for all faculties was published in “Politika” of September 27, 1999. In addition, RTS informed the public about the schedule, in all important news on the radio and television, so the exams in Blace and at all other locations where were our faculties, were massively attended.
As the situation in Kosovo worsened for Serbian people and the new academic year was approaching, it was evident that universities in Pristina and Prizren will be unable to continue their work. Therefore, the Minister of Education of the Republic of Serbia, prof. Dr. Jovo Todorovic, in September 1999, decided on the establishment of the Commission to look into space and technical requirements of the organization of university teaching and teaching at high schools in 16 municipalities in Kosovo and Metohija and the border areas of our province.
The Commission, considering insights in the field and studious observation, proposed to the Government of the Republic of Serbia a temporary seat for all faculties of the University of Pristina. Under this proposal, the Faculty of Economics is supposed to be dislocated in Krusevac, who offered the best conditions. However, as the government has its own requires to move the faculty to other cities, they has appointed a temporary location for the rest 13 faculties, all except ours. It was left to the Minister of Education, to determine a temporary location for the Faculty of Economics by his decision. Despite earlier suggestions formulated by the Commission, to relocate the Faculty in Krusevac, despite the insisting of all functional structures of Krusevac and Rasina district, to do so, something else happened. Obviously strongly influenced by various parties, the Minister of Education issued a decision, which requires that Faculty of Economics perform its activities in the buildings of Cultural Center and Technical School, “Youth”, in Blace, in the academic year 1999/2000.
Faculty was remarkably accepted by local authorities and the entire population. Management of Municipal of Blace was doing everything in its power to secure better conditions for the total activity of the Faculty. In a very short time, at the beginning of 1999/2000 academic year, qualitative conditions for organization of the October exam period were created, The Examination schedule was also published in “Politika”. The response of students in examinations was above expectations. In the meantime, the teaching rooms are equipped for educational work and the work of faculty management and administration stuff, and, in early November 1999, with a month delay, began the new academic year.
Time that Faculty spent in Blace, was filled with permanent efforts to consolidate the Faculty. Besides its own efforts, the Faculty had help and support of students and their parents, the Student Center, local structures and friends of the Faculty. The authorities of Serbia and Yugoslavia, as well as all universities in the country, Academy of Sciences, Matica srpska and other institutions provided a great help and support. As a result, the Faculty was very well organized and well trained for the operation and implementation of their plans and programs.
At the beginning of the academic year 2002/03, decision of the Government of the Republic of Serbia was to dislocate the Faculty of Economics in Zubin Potok , giving it some space in the building of technical school. It was a new challenge for the students, their parents, administration and staff members at the Faculty. In the environment that didn’t even have a secondary school of economics, whose material and other possibilities were very limited, it was to continue what was started and create, in a short time, the prerequisites for successful and efficient university operations. The biggest problems occurred with the registration of candidates for admission to faculty. Due to the specific location of this municipality, potential candidates for admission and their parents hardly made decisions to accept the conditions specified and offered by the Faculty Board and local community. In Kosovska Mitrovica have been a lot of faculties and programs, which were attractive and competitive, especially since the town was the seat of the University and the Student Center, with far more favorable conditions for studying and social life. A very aggressive competition appeared in the form of private colleges that offered conditions that were more favorable for future students and teaching staff. All that resulted with low number of students enrolled, and leaving great number of especially younger teachers and assistants. With the retirement of a number of older teachers, professional stuff base of the Faculty is weakened. For the second time, for past several years, Faculty again, at that time, found itself in a tough situation, almost on the edge of survival.
At the beginning of the academic year 2006/07, the new management of the University and the Faculty of Economics, started the activity in the revitalization of the Faculty. The Faculty is dislocated from Zubin Potok in Kosovska Mitrovica. Efforts have been made and still are to provide adequate conditions for normal work of the Faculty. The preparation of investment in new space for the Faculties of Law and of Economics, that are in progress, would greatly improve the current situation in which universities exist and function.
Transfer to Kosovska Mitrovica significantly improved the conditions for the Faculty, especially when it comes to the environment in which it found itself. and Some major problems that have followed the work of faculty in previous years have been solved. In fact, the interest of candidates for admission to the faculty significantly increased. Leaving of the teaching staff to other universities has been reduced and vacancies for new teachers and assistants are constantly open.
During this period, the Faculty engaged in the preparation and implementation of the reform of the overall teaching process, so that they could be in line with the norms of the Law on Higher Education of the Republic of Serbia. In that time, access to the entire complex process of reviewing the previous work of the Faculty, and, in particular, reform of curricula, in order of their modernization, adjust the quality requirements and standards prescribed by the appropriate legal standard and that would be in line with modern tendencies economics in the world. The center of the activity has been to align teaching with relevant national and international standards, and to regulate standards of self-evaluation and the total activity of the Faculty to a level of quality that would ensure the accreditation of courses and accreditation of the Faculty as an institution of higher education.
In the circumstances of three recent dislocations of the Faculty, which intensively drew the energy of the people working at the faculty, we were faced with a new, very significant challenge. To ensure the accreditation of the Faculty, as an institution of higher education had to be provided all those assumptions, which are prescribed by the appropriate accreditation criteria and standards, that are, of course, valid for all other higher education institutions in the Republic of Serbia.
The new management of the Faculty, with the involvement of the entire teaching and administrative stuff members, has invested great efforts, and in the most adverse circumstances, removed many shortcomings, which might be an impediment for accreditation. These efforts have to be even greater because the recent history of the Faculty was extremely difficult. A huge property of the Faculty in was left in Pristina, the number of people working at the Faculty, was greatly reduced, the material position of the Faculty was not at a high level, the economic crisis has further complicated the situation in the entire higher education in Serbia. The faculty found itself in the new environment, in Kosovska Mitrovica, and supposed to create the basic preconditions for the work.
Despite the dramatic events and difficult working conditions, the efforts made by the Faculty management and all employees have given positive results. Having previously performed all necessary actions, the appropriate documents for the accreditation of study programs for all levels of academic studies have been prepared and adopted at the Faculty and University and on time delivered to Accreditation Commission, formed by the National Council for Higher Education of the Republic of Serbia. Commission on Accreditation and Quality Assurance has reached and submitted to the Faculty, on November 28, 2008, Decision on accreditation of study program BUSINESS ECONOMICS for undergraduate academic studies, within the field social and humanistic sciences. On April 25 2009, the Commission on Accreditation reached a decision on accreditation of a study program BUSINESS ECONOMICS for graduate studies / master /. On August 28 2009, The Commission adopted a Decision on accreditation of study program INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS for graduate studies / master /. Finally, since they acquired legally and all other necessary conditions, the Commission for Accreditation and Quality Assurance, brought on August 28 2009, Certificate of accreditation of the institution of the Economic Faculty. Competent authorities of the Republic of Serbia presented a work license to the faculty. Before that the Committee for Accreditation of research organizations, the Ministry of Science of Serbia, took the decision on accreditation of the Faculty of Economics for engaging in research, which was required for the accreditation of the institution on November 26 2007.
Circling the entire activity on Accreditation, Faculty entered a new phase of complete reform of the teaching process. New defined curricula for undergraduate and graduate academic studies, provides monitoring of contemporary trends in economic science in the world. By those curriculum a qualitative move is made, which will, in the structure of scientific disciplines covered, enable the mobility of our students on many domestic and foreign universities and higher levels of enrollment in the study, and to all who successfully complete the study by those, revised, curriculum, successful professional career.