Young people today are not indifferent, as some are quick to think – says Professor Milovan Stanišić, President of Singidunum University. “Unlike the previous generations, they don’t accept knowledge that they consider useless being imposed on them and they don’t respect authority that is forced on them. In the light of this, Singidunum University offers a completely different approach to knowledge acquisition. Our graduates leave the University completely ready for the labour market and with CVs that will signify to their future employers that they are fully
competent,” says the Singidunum University President.
How does the quality of the syllabi and professors differ at your University in comparison to state or other private universities?
— The professors that teach at Singidunum University are not chosen solely for their expertise, but also for their willigness and effort to selflessly share their knowledge and experiences, which they have gained during their academic careers, with the students. Professors also need to teach students how to think and act creatively, as well as teach them about scientific developments in an acceptable and interactive way. Furthermore, we provided the
students with the best technical conditions for studying, the literature from which they learn and the most efficient students services. To what extent will a student progress, how much knowledge they will acquire, and what are the limits of their engagement is something that depends only on the student.
How important is practice during studies?
— Practice is an inevitable segment of our University’s study programmes. One of our brand-new programmes – Food Economics – has been introduced following the initiative of the managers of elite Belgrade hotels who contacted us with clear recommendations and with the aim to train future staff, through a combination of theory and practical
training, to be capable of responding to contemporary market demands, creating cutting-edge gastronomic products and independently managing catering facilities. What we specifically insist on at the University is that students should be given an opportunity to apply and test their theoretical knowledge in practice.
The students who are majoring in Food Economics have recently won medals at a prestigious competition in Romania. What do such career breakthroughs mean for young chefs?
— After only one semester of practice, the first generation of FE study programme students has achieved excellent results at two international competitions and won a total of 12 medals. The University’s management recognized their commitment and decided to finance the trip to these competitions for the best students, which proved to be the right decision. It is important to note that this success becomes much more valuable if we take into account the fact that most of the students have just graduated from grammar high schools and have not had secondary vocational education in this field. In addition to the competitions, we have helped FE study programme students, who want to work during their studies, to find paid practices in the country, which motivated them even more.
Which segments of Singidunum University’s development trajectory are you especially proud of and which of the University’s features would you like to single out as unique?
— We are particularly proud of the fact that Singidunum University is the only University, both in the state and private sector, in the country and the region, which conducts a full range of accredited English language studies – bachelor, master’s and doctoral studies. This wealth of study programmes encompasses all fields of science, and the candidates can pick from finance and banking, marketing, accounting, tourism, food economics, English studies, physical education, information technology, contemporary data science, etc. Since they closely follow the latest global trends, the aforementioned programmes not only ensure that our students get internationally recognized diplomas, which, should they decide so, open the doors of renowned universities across the world for them for further education, but also, during the studies at our University, enable them to learn and work in a multicultural
environment. At this moment, we have students who have come to Serbia from the different countries of the world (Norway, Russia, Great Britain, China, Sweden, etc.,) as well as those who have completed their previous levels of
education in Serbia and decided to continue studying in their own country, which is in no way lagging behind the studies in related areas at respectable universities around the world. To cater to the needs of the students who want
to spend a part of their education abroad, the University has established cooperation with Herzing University, which means that our students can complete a part of their studies in America, and earn American diploma.