On 8 September, Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to Serbia Holger Schroeder and Head of Operations III Richard Maša toured the construction site where a new facility for Bujanovac department of Faculty of Economics in Subotica is being built. The construction is funded by the EU with contributions from Swiss and Serbian governments through development programme European PROGRES.
Construction works are coming to an end, and the students will attend their classes in the new building as of October 2015. New building will comprise six modern classrooms with the capacity ranging from 60-80 persons, amphitheatre, administrative offices and rooms intended for students’ parliament with a total surface area of 2,300 square metres. Current and future students will be educated in a modern and quality equipped environment.
Department of Subotica Faculty of Economics started its operation in October 2011 and currently has some 350 students who attend programmes in marketing, finances, banking and insurance as well as economy and agribusiness.
European Union and Swiss Government allocated some EUR800,000 through European PROGRES programme for the construction of the said facility, whereas Municipality of Bujanovac and Serbian Government intend to support the programme with some EUR280,000 through Coordination Body for Municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja.
Representatives of EU Delegation visited construction site together with President of Bujanovac Municipality Nagip Arifi, President of Coordination Body Zoran Stankovic and Dean Nenad Vunjak. “I am very happy to see the construction works coming to an end because this is EU’s biggest investment in the area of education in South Serbia. According to information I obtained on the ground, students should be attending courses normally, in line with their curricula,” said Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to Serbia Holger Schroeder.
The same day, representatives of EU Delegation also visited Presevo where they met representatives of the Municipality and toured reception centres for migrants in Presevo and Miratovac. “In coming weeks, centre in Presevo will receive beds, mattresses, blankets, pillows, sheets, portable toilets, PET containers and water tanks, as part of support to Serbia in addressing refugee crisis,” Schroeder said.
Activities of European PROGRES, a programme contributing to sustainable development of South and South West Serbia, are supported by EU and Swiss Government with a total of EUR24.46 million. Approved projects aim to strengthen local administration, create better environment for development of infrastructure and economy as well as improve implementation of social inclusion and employment policy. Activities on the ground are implemented by UN Office for Project Services.
The programme includes following municipalities: Novi Pazar, Ivanjica, Nova Varos, Priboj, Prijepolje, Raska, Sjenica and Tutin in South West Serbia, and 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 i Knjazevac in South East of the country.
