University of Belgrade

University of Belgrade in 1890

The University of Belgrade was established in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School (Serbian: Београдска Велика школа, romanized: Beogradska Velika škola; a Grandes écoles) by Dositej Obradović, Serbian key figure in the Age of Enlightenment. It was the highest ranking educational institution in Serbia between 1808 and 1905, as the first Higher School (1808–1813), the Belgrade Lyceum (Serbian: Београдски Лицеј / Beogradski Licej; 1838–1863), and the second Higher School (1863–1905). It was initially located at the Princess Ljubica's Residence building and then moved to another significant site in Belgrade, the Captain Miša’s Mansion, today's seat of the university.[1]

Dositej Obradović, founder of the university

The second Higher School (also known as the Great School or Great Academy of Belgrade) was established as the successor of the Lyceum and was a combination of a classical gymnasium and a college, and as such developed into the University of Belgrade. Under the law, it was defined as a "scientific institute for higher and professional education". The Minister of Education had control over this institution and it was managed by the Rector (elected by the monarch) and Academic Council.

During its early history it had three departments: Philosophy, Engineering and Law. The Higher School formally became the University of Belgrade through the Law on the University from February 27, 1905. In addition to the Philosophy, Law and Electrical Engineering departments, this law introduced the Orthodox Theology and Medical schools.

In the early 19th century, the studies of law lasted three years and the curriculum included comparative and state (constitutional) law, international law, criminal law and judicial procedure, as well as general subjects. This is how the modern legal education in Serbia emerged in the year 1808. Before enrolling the legal department, it was compulsory to graduate at the philosophy department where the studies lasted two years, so the legal studies lasted a total of five years. Since 1853, the legal education became independent from the studies of philosophy and from 1863 the legal education in Serbia lasted four years.

The lectures were held by well-known professors who had earned their diplomas in Austria, Germany and France (Jovan Sterija Popović, Josif Pančić, Đura Daničić, and others).

During the 1850s, the Philosophy (General) Department developed into a particular college. The University of Belgrade's Faculty of Philosophy is today's continuation of this department.

The first academic lecture on electrical engineering in Serbia was held in 1894. Professor Stevan Marković was the first lecturer and founder of the Engineering Department at the Higher School. Only four years later, Professor Marković also established the first Serbian electrical engineering laboratory. Since then, this academic discipline has been studied at the Higher School and the University of Belgrade. The first diplomas in this field were given in 1922.

First professors of the University of Belgrade (1905).

The University of Belgrade witnessed a massive growth and expansion in the years before the Second World War and especially after the founding of the second Yugoslavia. The first woman graduated from the University of Belgrade's Law School in 1914.[10]

In the 1960s and 70s, the University developed into a remarkable regional and international educational institution. Many students from other countries were trained there. In the socialist Yugoslavia, the University was expanded, but it was also exposed to state and ideological influence. It has also been the driving force for the establishment of almost all other universities in today's Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and several universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.[10]

In 1968, its students organized the first mass protest in post-World War II Yugoslavia.

In the early 1990s the quality of university programs deteriorated as a consequence of the political instability in the country and the subsequent wars of Yugoslavia. There was a lack of financial resources and the quality dropped significantly. During the Milošević government in Serbia, the University had to face external political pressure and the lack of academic and administrative autonomy.[11]

In the mid-1990s, the University of Belgrade became an internationally recognized center of the political opposition in Serbia. Massive anti-government protests were staged by the Belgrade students and professors. The University's student organizations (especially "Otpor!") significantly contributed to overthrowing the government.[12]

Since 2000, the University of Belgrade has taken important steps and has revitalized and improved the facilities and its teaching quality. There have been many reforms in higher education of the country. The University has made great efforts since then to improve the internal structure and has become a signatory of the Bologna declaration. Being one of Europe’s largest universities with an enrollment of nearly 90,000 students, the University broadly cooperates with international academic institutions and is involved in countless bilateral and multilateral academic projects.

The University of Belgrade has found its place amongst the top 300 universities in the world, according to the most recent (2017) ranking carried out by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University, better known as the Shanghai List. In the area of mathematics, it is ranked among the top 150 universities in the world.[13]

The University is divided into 31 faculties, including (with data about academic staff and number of students as of 2018–19 school year):[4]

• Institute for Applied Nuclear Energy
• Institute for Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy
• Institute of History
• Institute for Medical Research
• Institute for Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering
• Institute for Multidisciplinary Research
• Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory
• Institute of Physics
• Mihajlo Pupin Institute
• Nikola Tesla Institute of Electrical Engineering
• Siniša Stanković Institute for Biological Research
• Vinča Nuclear Institute

• Information Center
• Computer Center
• Serbian-Japanese Center for Scientific Simulations
• Center for Career Development
• Center for Strategic Management
• Center for Technology Transfer
• Center for Students with Disabilities
• Center for Quality Assurance
• Center for Lifelong Learning

The University of Belgrade offers housing options within 11 student dormitories and it has the largest student housing system in Serbia, accommodating up to 10,154 students at various locations throughout the city.[2][25]

• ''Studentski grad'' (4,406)
• ''Karaburma'' (1,170)
• ''Patris Lumumba'' (1,021)
• ''4. April'' (863)
• ''Slobodan Penezić'' (756)
• ''Kralj Aleksandar I'' (525)
• ''Košutnjak'' (413)
• ''Rifat Burdžević'' (367)
• ''Vera Blagojević I'' and ''Vera Blagojević II'' (313)
• ''Žarko Marinović'' (188)
• ''Mika Mitrović'' (162)

The university’s "Studentski grad" in New Belgrade is a dormitory complex organized into 4 blocks. It has a theater building, movie theater, facilities for athletics, two libraries, reading rooms and open stage for summer concerts.[26]

The other dormitories are smaller by capacity and scattered throughout the city’s urban neighbourhoods. ''Kralj Aleksandar I'' Dormitory (also known as "Lola") at the King Alexandar Boulevard campus is the oldest dormitory in the Balkans, founded in 1927 by King Alexander I of Yugoslavia. It has 190 rooms and provides accommodation for the university’s successful students, based on their grade point average.[27] Some of the dormitories got their names after political leaders. As an example, the Patrice Lumumba Hall of Residence at Belgrade University built in 1961 today continues to carry the name of Lumumba, the first legally elected Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo after he helped win its independence from Belgium.[28]