Head of the European Delegation to the Republic of Serbia Michael Davenport, Head of the Coordinating Body for Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja Zoran Stankovic, and the President of the Municipality of Bujanovac Nagip Arifi, announced the start of the construction of Bujanovac Department of the Faculty of Economics in Subotica. The EU will provide some 800.000 for the project.

Construction project is a partnership endeavour of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, the Municipality of Bujanovac, European Union, and the Government of Switzerland, that will offer current and future students a chance to acquire knowledge in a modern and quality equipped facility.

The construction of the facility will be upheld by European Union with around 800.000 euros through European PROGRES programme, whereas the Municipality of Bujanovac and Serbian Government are planning to support the project with some 280.000 euros through the Coordinating Body. The construction will start by the end of 2014, and depending on weather conditions, the completion is expected by October 2015.

“We have made a major progress together, and I am pleased to confirm that European Union, together with the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Municipality, will finance the construction and remain engaged in the project, both directly and indirectly,” Ambassador Davenport said during the visit to construction location.

Head of the Coordinating Body Zoran Stankovic said that the beginning of construction works was a result of great persistence and tolerance of all partners and donors, and that it proved that was the only way of reaching the common goals – a better and a more quality life to all citizens of South East Serbia.

“This is a major event for students of Albanian, Serbian and Roma nationality, as well as all the other communities residing in Bujanovac and nearby municipalities. I thank each of the partners who took part in the project and I wish to see the new Faculty enrol an increased number of students from Bujanovac and beyond, the very next school year,” said President of the Municipality Nagip Arifi.

In 2011, Faculty of Economics in Subotica, as part of the University of Novi Sad, opened a department in Bujanovac, and is currently offering students a chance to attend three accredited study programmes: marketing, finance, banking and insurance; agribusiness; and agricultural economics.

By now, four generations have been successfully enrolled, and a total of 302 students of Albanian, Serbian and Roma nationality are now attending lectures in Serbian and Albanian languages. With an increased number of students, issue of an adequate education space occurred, but the construction of the facility will address this in the long run.

At the end of the first day of his visit to South East Serbia, EU Ambassador also met with the newly elected President of Albanian National Council Jonuz Musliu.

By the end of 2017, activities of European PROGRES, a Programme contributing to the sustainable development of 34 municipalities in South and South West Serbia, will be supported by European Union and Swiss Government with a total of 24,46 million euros.

The European PROGRES programme includes the following 34 local self-governments: Novi Pazar, Ivanjica, Nova Varos, Priboj, Prijepolje, Raska, Sjenica and Tutin in the South West Serbia, as well as Prokuplje, Blace, Zitoradja, Kursumlija, Leskovac, Bojnik, Vlasotince, Lebane, Medvedja, Crna Trava, Vranje, Bosilegrad, Bujanovac, Vladicin Han, Presevo, Surdulica, Trgoviste, Brus, Aleksinac, Gadzin Han, Doljevac, Merosina, Svrljig, Babusnica, Bela Palanka and Knjazevac in the South East of the country.