Dual Study Programs at Faculties in Serbia Soon

Dual study programs will soon be available at faculties in Serbia, and clothing engineering and design are the first among those to be developed in cooperation between employers and the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Cacak, as announced by the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia (CCIS).

Under these dual programs, students will learn theory in amphitheaters and classrooms and then acquire skills and practice at companies, in a real working environment at the potential employer.

The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering is already offering a new master study program “Industry 4.0”, conceived in line with dual education guidelines. According to professor Radivoje Mitrovic, the dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Belgrade, the problem of the lack of engineers, which is present in some much more developed economies too, can be solved by attracting foreign companies to transfer their development capacities to Serbia too, in addition to their production capacities. The main condition is to upgrade the quality of the education of engineers, which dual studies enable.

The economy points to the multiple benefits of dual studies compared to traditional lectures and exercises at faculties.

– The advantages are great, because, during their studies, the students are preparing for working in their field, and companies get prepared and trained candidates. We have recently opened a factory in Novi Sad as well, where advanced electronics for the automotive industry are produced as well, so the need for dual study programs is even greater, especially when it comes to the SMT (surface-mount technology), testing, optics, electronics and mechanical engineering – emphasizes Sasa Coringa, the general manager of Continental Automotive Srbija.

On a global level, the company already has this practice and excellent results in Germany and Romania.

– Dual education in faculties and high schools contributes to the development of the economy and the tendency of keeping young people in the country. The advantages of learning through work are the dynamism, the innovative approaches and a considerable reduction of training periods. The synergy of theoretical and practical knowledge creates young, energetic, educated workers, whom the economy needs – says Tamara Karapandzic, the marketing manager in the Cacak-based company Tiffany Production. The company is actively involved in the project of high-school dual education in Cacak and the logical next step is a dual study program, which Tiffany would be glad to join.

The activities of the CCIS regarding dual studies will be directed at connecting employers with high-school institutions and supporting companies throughout the study process.