ISUM 2008 was held from 7-20 July

The last edition of the International Summer University Macedonia took place in Ohrid, a beautiful resort known to many tourists. 320 students, locals as well as internationals, were selected to participate after the application process. There was a tuition fee of 50 Euros, but scholarships were provided to 80 applicants from South East Europe. These covered travel expenses, accommodation and food.
12 courses with varying topics such as Law, Economics, Business & Public Administration, Gender, Education Science and Teacher Training were offered. Students, who successfully passed their course(s), received 3 ECTS-credits. Each course was taught by an international professor, assisted by a local co-professor and a student assistant. Besides the rich educational programme, there was also a diverse recreational programme on the agenda, which offered to facilitate informal contacts, a relaxed environment to meet, chat and have fun together. Activities included sports, excursions, course lunches, field trips and of course: parties. All specific information can be found in the ISUM 2008 Brochure.

Background Information

Problems and challenges in South East Europe (SEE) reach far beyond national borders and therefore cross-border solutions are needed to tackle them. Following work visits of SPARK's representatives to the Universities of Skopje, Bitola, and Tetovo, the Ministry of Education in Macedonia, student organisations and university leaderships expressed their strong interest in the organisation of a Macedonia-wide summer university. Consequently, SPARK drafted an extensive proposal for an International Summer University Macedonia (ISUM) in support of the Ohrid Agreement and the Bologna Process. The pilot project, the International Winter University Macedonia (IWUM) took place in January 2005.

Project Description

In cooperation with the faculties of Law, Public Administration, Economics, Business Administration, Education and Teacher Training of the Universities of Skopje, Tetovo and Bitola, and the SEE University in Tetovo, SPARK organised the International Summer University Macedonia (ISUM) from 2005 till 2008. The aim of this project was to foster academic co-operation on a national and the European level and to assist the implementation of the Bologna Process in Macedonia. Each summer, 20 intensive summer courses were organised. In addition to the academic courses, public debates on topics such as the Ohrid Agreement and the Bologna Process were organised. Recreational activities provided ample opportunity for students and professors to meet in an informal setting. Moreover, the project included a workshop programme and study visits for the local faculty, and an annual seminar for student unions from SEE. All these activities aimed to contribute to the project’s overall goal to foster inter-university co-operation within Macedonia, while improving the quality of higher education in Macedonia and accelerating its integration into the European Higher Education Area.