HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM
Country profile
Capital: SkopjePrincipal cities: Bitola, Ohrid, Strumica, Stip, Tetovo, Veles
Official language(s): Macedonian1, Albanian2
Other language(s): Turkish, Serbian, Romany
Population: 2.0 million (2004)
GDP per capita PPP: 6,610 int'l $ (2004)
Currency: Macedonian denar (MKD)
Labour force activity rate (pop. aged15-64): 60.6% (2005)
1 Primary official language 2 Prescribed by law
The education system is divided into 4 main areas: pre-school care and education (from the age of 6 months to 6 years), primary education (lasting 9 years), secondary education (lasting 2, 3 or 4 years), and tertiary education. Primary and secondary education is compulsory and free. Higher education is partially financed by the state, but university students also contribute. The coverage of the basic education system is relatively low, although an increase has been witnessed in recent years. Secondary and tertiary enrolment rates vary considerably across income groups and regions. Higher education is offered by 4 public and 11 private accredited institutions. Students are required to pass an entrance examination to obtain access to higher education. In the academic year 2006/2007 63,224 students were enrolled for a total of 2,874 teaching staff. Although the number of students who enter university education is rising, the number of graduates is still very low. In addition, most students take longer than the prescribed time to complete their degree.
The main source of funding for higher education is the government, with a small portion of revenues coming from tuition fees. There are a number of tuition fee options: for full-time students within the state quota, for full-time students outside this quota (approximately 1:1), and for part-time students. Tuition fees also vary from faculty to faculty.
To support the Bologna process reforms and respond to national needs (including those required under the Ohrid Framework Agreement), higher education legislation was updated in 2003, and a law making changes and amendments to the law on higher education was adopted. The changes included an updated procedure for the recognition of degrees and competencies, and clarification of roles and responsibilities in evaluation and accreditation bodies. The new legislation also addressed the issues of higher education funding, the establishment of a higher education and financing council, the recruitment of young teachers and researchers, and the possible introduction of funding for study programmes in the languages of ethnic communities representing over 20% of the total population of the country.
Years of compulsory education: 11
Gross enrolment ratio (ISCED levels 5 & 6):*28.0 (2004)
Number of higher education institutions: 4 public; 11 private
Bologna signatory country since: 2003
* The country's total enrolment in tertiary education (regardless of age), as a percentage of the population in the official age group corresponding to this level of education
Accreditet Higher Education Institutions in Republic of Macedonia
The European Commission will organise a project representatives' meeting gathering grantholders and project coordinators (from the partner countries and the EU) who have received a Joint European Project, which was selected in reply to the call for proposals of 15 December 2006. The meeting will take place on 10-11 March 2008 in Brussels. Grantholders will receive an invitiation with all the necessary information. The overall aim of the meeting is to address the practical issues of grant management (rules, reporting requirements, financial management) and give hands-on advice. The meeting will also be an excellent opportunity for new and experienced practitioners to exchange knowledge and to network with other project partners in similar subject areas or in the same region.If you have questions on the meeting please send them to following e-mail address: tempus@teamwork.fr
Erasmus Mundus is a cooperation and mobility programme in the field of higher education for the enhancement of quality in European higher education;the promotion of the European Union as a centre of excellence in learning around the world and the promotion of intercultural understanding through cooperation with third countries as well as for the development of third countries in the field of higher education.The programme continues and extends the scope of the activities already launched during its first phase(2004-2008) and includes the Erasmus Mundus External Cooperation Window scheme, which was launched in 2006 as a complement to the original programme. The decision establishing the second phase of the Erasmus Mundus Programme was adopted by the European Parliament and Council on 16.12.2008 (Decision No 1298/2008/EC).1 The programme covers the period 2009-2013 and has....
TEMPUS-Third call application guidelinesEACEA N° 28/2009
The Commission considers higher education as an important priority for its co-operation activities with the neighbouring countries and the countries within its wider vicinity. The Tempus programme, which is the longest-standing EU programme in this sector and which has a strong focus on institutional co-operation, is being continued for a new phase from 2007 to 2013. Since its inception in 1990, university cooperation under the Tempus programme has contributed successfully to institution building in higher education in the partner countries and to sustainable university partnerships as well as to enhancing mutual understanding between academic worlds of the European Union and the partner countries. The present call for proposals is funded through the following financial instruments of the European Union....