It is not yet known which model future freshmen will study at the University of Montenegro, nor whether a certificate of four-year higher education will be issued after the first year of master's studies.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation promises that the Government will adopt the Draft Law on Higher Education by the end of June.
However, the Student Parliament of the University of Montenegro (SPUCG) claims that this is unacceptable. They say that if the proposal for an umbrella regulation in higher education is not adopted by the end of May, the student organization will be ready for other forms of action "which will be implemented on the first day of classes in the 2025/26 academic year, and we will inform the public about this in a timely manner."
"Taking into account the public interest that the new Law on Higher Education, which should necessarily contain the so-called transitional solution for students of two-year master's studies, which is advocated by SPUCG, be adopted as soon as possible, we believe that decision-makers should not only institutionally, but also personally, commit to completing this process. Therefore, we do not consider the aforementioned deadline (the end of the second quarter of the year) acceptable and we do not believe that we should go to the very limits of the defined deadlines, which have been corrected several times," the president of SPUCG told "Vijesti". Jakov Vukcevic.
According to him, the transitional solution implies the possibility for a student of two-year master's studies, according to the current 3+2+3 study model, to be issued a diploma or certificate of acquired 240 ECTS credits, which corresponds to the VII-1 qualification level according to the National Qualifications Framework, after completing the first year of the two-year master's studies.
"This proposal of the SPUCG, which was not initially included in the draft that was on public debate, was supported by over 3.700 students by signing a petition in support of the petition that we submitted to the Ministry of Education and Science at the end of November," Vukčević emphasized.
The Ministry of Education and Science responded to the editorial staff that they had several meetings with representatives of the Student Parliament during which they discussed the numerous problems facing Montenegrin students.
They announced that through an open and constructive dialogue, an agreement was reached that "the Ministry is ready, within its competence, to actively work on resolving these issues, while respecting the real time necessary for their high-quality and sustainable implementation."
"When it comes to the deadlines for the implementation of other student requests, there is a clear willingness and agreement to resolve them. The Ministry remains committed to continuing the dialogue and jointly seeking sustainable solutions, taking into account all circumstances and time frames necessary for their effective implementation. The adoption of the Law on Higher Education is planned for the second quarter of this year, in accordance with the Work Plan of the Government of Montenegro. Representatives of the Student Parliament were informed about this dynamics in a timely manner," said the Ministry of Higher Education and Science.
Vukčević states that they discussed with representatives of the education sector and considered other student demands - establishing a methodology for ranking higher education institutions and their ranking, the start of construction of a new student dormitory in Podgorica, a fundamental reform of the Vocational Training Program for Persons with Higher Education, while rejecting the possibility of its abolition...
"However, no agreement has been reached regarding the deadlines for fulfilling these requests," said the President of the SPUCG.
Vukčević reminds that the last meeting of the Working Group for the Draft of the New Law on Higher Education was held last December. He emphasizes that “such meetings cannot be equated with meetings between representatives of the leadership of the SPUCG and representatives of the Ministry”.
"The SPUCG has been convening more than once, for probably five or six years now, contributing to the creation of the new Law on Higher Education through participation in working groups, meetings with representatives of the Ministry, ministers, prime ministers, sending formal letters, requests and initiatives, and organizing round tables, forums, panels, but also in other ways. All this effort has not borne fruit to date," said the president of the SPUCG, adding that "they do not consider the mentioned deadline (end of the second quarter) acceptable and do not think that we should go to the extreme limits of the defined deadlines, which have been corrected several times."
The Student Parliament had previously asked representatives of the relevant institutions to discuss pressing issues with them, but they did not appear.
Secretary General of the Student Parliament Vedran Vujisic He previously said that the current study system is "a generator of problems in the Montenegrin higher education system."
"We are becoming a society of masters. Master's studies are no longer the result of striving for progress, but mere desires and needs. The new study model is also important to us," Vujisić said earlier, emphasizing that it is necessary to rank higher education institutions in Montenegro.
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