History of The University
University represents an institution regarded, with reason, as one of the greatest contributions of the European peoples to the world cultural heritage.
The origin of the University of Belgrade can be tracked down to the very beginning of the XIX century, namely the year 1808, when the College (Velika škola) was founded by Dositej Obradović.
In 1838, the Lyceum was founded in Kragujevac. Teaching courses lasted for two years, and since 1840 – for four years. When transferred to Belgrade, the Lyceum was added Law Department beside the existing initial Philosophy Department. The Department of Science and Technology was formed in 1853.
Only the candidates who had graduated from grammar schools could enroll in the Lyceum.
On September 24, 1863, the Law on The Advanced School Founding was adopted, by power of which the Lyceum was transformed into the The Advanced School. This institution was situated in the edifice which Captain Miša Anastasijević, one of the wealthiest Serbs of the time, had bequeathed to his fatherland, and which is, even today, considered to be one of the most enchanting buildings in Belgrade.
The Advanced School comprised three faculties – The Faculty of Philosophy, The Faculty of Law and The Faculty of Technical Sciences. In 1873 two departments were introduced into the Faculty of Philosophy – Department of History and Philology and Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. In 1896 this faculty was reorganized again in order to form 4 departments: Department of Linguistics and Literature, Department of History and Geography, Department of Mathematics and Physics and Department of Chemistry and Natural History. The same year The Faculty of Law was added two new departments: Department of Civil Engineering, Department of Technical Sciences and Mechanics and Department of Architecture.
The Advanced School was well recognized not only throughout the then Princedom (Kingdom) of Serbia, but also throughout Europe. The most prominent teachers of this school had been educated at the leading foreign universities, and continued to cooperate with their former tutors and colleagues, as the representatives of their respective departments.
Early in 1905, the Act on Universities was enacted, and King Petar I signed the decree of its enactment on February 27 (i.e. March 12, according to Gregorian calendar). The University Act granted autonomy, stating that “the teachers are free to present their knowledge”.
Between the World Wars the University continued its progress. Its work was renewed on May 1, 1919. This state body was renamed in 1930 into the University Senate by the new Law on Universities of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. As soon as 1920, three new faculties were formed stipulated by the Law on Universities of 1905 – The School of Medicine, The Faculty of Theology, and The Faculty of Agriculture. They were allocated separate buildings. In early 1920’s The Faculty of Philosophy in Skoplje and the Faculty of Law in Subotica were founded – both being parts of the University of Belgrade. The Technical Faculty was divided into five departments (Architecture, Civil Engineering, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Chemical, Culture and Technology and Geodesy), and allocated a new building. In 1932 the Faculty of Agriculture turned into The Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, while the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine was founded in 1936. In 1937 Pharmaceutical Department was formed within the School of Medicine. The Faculty of Law began its new academic 1940/41 year in a new building.
The increased number of faculties was followed by a greater number of both teachers and students: just before the World War II the University employed over 500 teachers and had about 10.000 students. The University of Belgrade represented the most important academic institution of the then Kingdom of Yugoslavia. It was both the heart of scientific, educational and cultural life, and the centre of resistance to antitotalitarism as well. Apart from the already mentioned leading figures, the University gained its reputation through the work of Milutin Milanković, Vladimir Ćorović, Đordje Tasić, et al. The University of Belgrade was closed in 1941, when the entire country was occupied by German forces.
After the liberation of 1945, the University was reopened by the new communist government. A certain number of the prewar professors was then dismissed. Since the University of Belgrade, as well as the rest of the universities throughout the then SFRY represented the bulwark of democratic ideas and academic freedom in between the World Wars, it was put under strict political control. If one observes the structural changes of the University of Belgrade during the postwar period, one will see a tendency towards the increased number of faculties. In 1945 the Pharmaceutical Faculty was founded, and in 1947 the Faculty of Mathematics was separated from the Faculty of Philosophy and soon branched into the Faculty of Biology, the Faculty of Geography, the Faculty of Mathematics, the Faculty of Physics, the Faculty of Chemistry and the Faculty of Physical Chemistry in 1995. In 1947 the Collegiate School of Economics and Commerce turned into the Faculty of Economics. A year after, the University of Belgrade separated into three independent organizations: the University, Great Medical School and Great Technical School. The same year, the Faculty of Dental Medicine was founded and the Great Technical School divided into six faculties: Architecture, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Technology and Mine. In 1949 the Faculty of Geology joined them, which in 1956 fused with the Faculty of Mine turning into the Faculty of Mine and Geology. In 1949 the Faculty of Forestry and Agriculture divided into the Faculty of Forestry and the Faculty of Agriculture respectively. The Faculty of Orthodox Theology was excluded from the Belgrade University structure by the Government of Serbia Act in 1952. Great Medicine and Great Technical School rejoined the University of Belgrade in 1954.
Under the auspices of the University of Belgrade the universities in Novi Sad, Niš, Priština, Kragujevac and Titograd (now Podgorica) were founded. We can rightly state that the University of Belgrade was alma mater to nearly all the universities throughout Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia. The University itself further branched: the Faculty of Traffic and Transport Engineering was founded in 1960 and the same year the Faculty of Philology separated from the Faculty of Philosophy. Two collegiate schools were turned into new faculties in 1968 – the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education and the Faculty of Political Sciences. Three years later the Faculty of Organizational Sciences was formed and the Faculty for Special Education and Rehabilitation in 1975, the Faculty of Civil Defense in 1977, and Teachers’ Training Faculty was founded in 1993. Finally, in 2004 the Faculty of Orthodox Theology regained its position under the aegis of the University of Belgrade annulling the Act by which it had been excluded. In the postwar period the number of students at the University was constantly increasing. In the early 1960’s there were about 50.000 students, and in the academic year 2004/05, 71.683 undergraduates were enrolled. From the foundation of certain faculties till 2004/05, 322.288 students graduated from the University of Belgrade. Great influx of students was encouraged by the liberalisation of enrollment and possibility of part-time studies. Later on, the enrollment was restricted by the enrollment quotas for each faculty. Currently, only the students who show adequate results at entrance exams and with proper previous secondary school score can matriculate the University. Late in the 1950’s graduate studies were organized for students so that they could advance towards the Master of Sciences degree which, from 1966 on, became a prerequisite for defending doctoral thesis. 20.707 MS degrees have been received and 12.073 doctoral theses have been defended up to date. The number of teachers and associates increased alongside the number of undergraduate and graduate students.
Nowadays the University of Belgrade employs 2.539 teachers (1.025 full-time professors, 706 associate professorors, 808 senior lecturers, 2.411 assisstant lecturers and other teaching associates and 2.807 non-teaching staff). It is not possible to present a more thorough evaluation of the progress of the University unless we advert to its role in the social events of the first fifty years after the World War II when the country became liberated. Student demonstrations broke out at the University in June 1968. Their demands referred to annulment of the great social distinctions and concomitantly expressing their discontent with the social position. Disintegration of former Yugoslavia and formal establishing of multy-party system brought the University of Belgrade to the foreground of political struggles, which marked the last decade of the 20th century. By the end of 1980’s, its teachers and students managed to gain some legal guarantees concerning the autonomy of the University and their own academic freedom. However, from the very beginning of 1990’s, the majority realized that the transition of Serbia was slow in coming and that severe concequences of its isolation from Europe were imminent. The student demonstrations of March 1991 and June 1992 made it clear that the University of Belgrade was the very centre of resistance to retrograde and undemocratic policy of authorities of the time. The Belgrade University Declaration dating back to 1992 still exists as a testimony to the responsibility the professors and students felt facing the imminent tragedies as well as their intellectual courage to timely express their concern in public. In autumn 2000, however, the University of Belgrade energetically responded to the challenge The Law on Universities of 1998 set upon it. On October 5, the students were gathered together again at the forefront of demonstrations which ultimately led towards the overthrow of Milosević’s regime and ensuring electoral will of the citizens at the same time.
Practically, the University autonomy was established immediately after October 5, 2000, but it was regulated by law in mid-2002, when a new Law on Universities was enacted, relyng on the good experience with the the early 1990’s Law. After a decade of international isolation, the University of Belgrade by leaps and bounds came back into the international academic community. It became a member of European and International University Association and was also included into various forms of inter-academic cooperation (TEMPUS projects, UNIADRON iniciative, etc.). International exchange of teachers and students was intensified, and the first Joint Master studies were organized in cooperation with La sapienza University from Rome and University of Sarajevo. When Serbia joined the Bologna process a new challenge was issued: How to get organized in order to integrate into the unique European academic environment by the end of the first decade of 21st century. In autumn 2004, the University of Belgrade was entrusted with the leading role in preparing pre-draft of the Law on Higher Education. A great national undertaking of including Serbia into the European Union has to be followed by adjustment of its higher education system to the Bologna process requirements. Full mobility approach, which is now a reality in Europe, should become a reality at Serbian universities, too.
The University of Belgrade is prepared, in this context, to maintain and improve its role of the leading highereducation institution in the area, carrying on the tradition and all that makes it recognized as a prime national brand, but at the same time trying to keep up with the world.
