University of Kragujevac

[EduCativ]

The University of Kragujevac rose from the foundations of the Lyceum of the Principality of Serbia, the first higher education institution in modern Serbia, established in Kragujevac by the decree of Prince Milos Obrenović on July 1, 1838. Its first rector was Atanasije Nikolic (1803 – 1882). The Lyceum of Serbia's principle planted the seed of higher education from which first modern higher education institutions originated at the beginning of the 1960s. The University of Kragujevac was founded on May 21, 1976. At that time, the University incorporated five faculties: Mechanical Engineering, Economics, Law, Natural Sciences & Mathematics, Medicine, and College of Mechanical Engineering in Kraljevo and two research institutes: Small Grains Research Institute in Kragujevac and Fruit Research Institute in Čačak.

The University was established and developed based on the concept of dispersed University, comprising 12 faculties in six towns of the Central Serbia region: Kragujevac, Čačak, Jagodina, Kraljevo, Užice, and Vrnjačka Banja. However, the University managed to turn this into one of its most distinctive advantages, which allows it to use economic and geographical potentials and human resources from the territory, which spreads over an area of 5000 square kilometers and has about 2.5 million citizens. Today, the University of Kragujevac is a modern education and research center embracing almost all effective teaching and research areas, with a student population of 20,000 and 1,200 academic staff. The University integrates all faculties and its organizational units by carrying out the individual policy to continually promote higher education activities, improve the teaching process's quality, and educate scientific, research, and art offspring.

The University of Kragujevac in 2020 is a generator and driver of innovations in education and research, which through internationalization, encourages the synergy of all University members, giving a substantial contribution to the strengthening and improvement of the University's reputation in the country and abroad. The University of 2020 is a partner recognized by international higher education and research institutions, with the highest academic standards which provide students, teachers, and researchers with the opportunity to acquire general, scientific, and artistic knowledge and skills in compliance with the needs of the society and planned regional and national development that through scientific and creative process provides the advancement of society at large.

By realizing international activities, the University will strive to provide its teachers and researchers with the most favorable research environment and its students with opportunities to gain knowledge, skills, and competencies that will raise their competitiveness not only at the national level but also at the European and global labor market, and within the academic community at the same time. Through cooperation among faculties within the University, their students, teachers, researchers, and administrative staff in international cooperation, the University of Kragujevac tends to provide the best conditions, mechanisms, and procedures that will encourage and support the realization of activities necessary for the process of internationalization.

The University of Kragujevac accepted the values and principles of contemporary European university education, taking into account the National Council for Higher Education standards. The University is committed to establishing an institutional quality management system and building the organizational culture of quality, which will ensure the functioning of the continuous monitoring, assessment, assurance, and quality improvement in all areas of the University and its faculties. The University of Kragujevac achieves its mission of educating students through programs of study (total number of study programs - 125) essential academic, primary professional, integrated academic, academic master, and doctoral academic studies, which are realized in 12 faculties of the University, namely:

• Faculty of Agronomy in Cacak
• Faculty of Economics in Kragujevac
• Faculty of Engineering in Kragujevac
• Faculty of Mechanical and Civil Engineering in Kraljevo
• Faculty of Medical Sciences in Kragujevac
• Faculty of Education in Jagodina
• Faculty of Law in Kragujevac
• Faculty of Science in Kragujevac
• Faculty of Technical Sciences in Cacak
• Teachers Training Faculty in Uzice
• Faculty of Philology and Arts in Kragujevac
• Faculty of Hotel Management and Tourism in Vrnjacka Banja

The University is oriented towards continuous active involvement in the process of change that will provide students with modern and effective education and contribute to the University's evolving into a modern institution of higher education, which will be included in a single European higher education area, along with the more developed European universities, as equally valuable and a respected member of the university community. Also, the University aims to introduce new programs of study at faculties in its composition, by the needs of the labor market. Bearing in mind that the importance of cooperation between the academic and business communities is undeniable, the University of Kragujevac seeks through the work of the Centre for Career Development and Student Counseling to establish contact with representatives of local companies and businesses in order to enable young academics to acquire practical experience, and thereby, together with employers, participated in the formation of future staff.

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