During his visit to South Serbia, Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport, together with Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Swiss Ambassador to Serbia Jean-Daniel Ruch, toured the newly constructed building, bilingual satellite unit of Subotica Faculty of Economy in Bujanovac.
The construction of this facility costed EUR1 million, out of which the EU allocated EUR615,000, Swiss Government earmarked EUR185,000, whereas Serbian Government’s contribution amounted to EUR208,000.
The facility has 2,300 square metres of floor space and was constructed in nine months in line with highest European standards. Currently, there are some 400 Albanian and Serbian students attending lectures which are given bilingually, in both Serbian and Albanian, thus making this education institution unique in South Serbia. The Faculty offers three accredited study programmes: finance, banking and insurance, marketing, and agribusiness for agricultural economy.
Education Against Prejudice
“Now it is up to you to use education, persistence and harmony to refute all the prejudice which rather often restrain this region to harness its amazing potential and start walking hand in hand with the rest of Europe,“ said Ambassador Davenport during his visit to the Faculty.
Prime Minister Vucic said that he was proud to see students learn in both Serbian and Albanian in this building, enjoying better learning conditions than students at the Faculty of Law in Belgrade, and called students to study because knowledge is more important than politics.
Ambassador Ruch told students about the importance of bilingual education and stressed that education alone was not enough. “You should learn but you should work as well, it is important to develop work ethic and apply what you have learned in order to make the best possible contribution to the development of your municipality and your country,” Ruch said.
The ceremony was also participated in by Head of OSCE Mission to Serbia Peter Burkhardt, French Ambassador to Serbia Christine Moro, both former and sitting Ministers of Education Zarko Obradovic and Srdjan Verbic, Head of Coordinating Authority for Bujanovac, Presevo and Medvedja Zoran Stankovic, as well as Ombudsman Sasa Jankovic. During the ceremony, diplomas were presented to 10 students, that is the first generation of students to graduate at this facility.
Houses for Kosovo* Refugees
During his visit to Bujanovac, Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport presented property contracts for prefabricated houses to 10 of the most vulnerable families displaced from Kosovo, eight of which are of Roma descent.
The construction of prefabricated houses was funded by the EU with EUR185,000, together with financial contribution from Housing Centar organisation which was also in charge with project implementation.
Together with President of Coordinating Authority for Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja Zoran Stankovic, Davenport also paid a visit to Collective Centre for temporary reception and housing of refugees in Presevo, followed by a visit to the project of inter-ethnic cooperation implemented between two high schools in Bujanovac, funded through European PROGRES Programme by the EU and Swiss Government.
The implementation of this Programme, which will contribute to sustainable development of southern and south western Serbia, will be supported with a total of 24.46 million euros by the EU and Swiss Government, with a goal to strengthen local administration, ensure favourable environment for the development of infrastructure and economy and improve the implementation of social inclusion and employment policies.
*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR. 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence
