The Saints Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje (Macedonian: Универзитет „Св. Кирил и Методиј“ – Скопје) is the largest university in the Republic of Macedonia. It was named after the Byzantine Christian theologians and Christian missionaries Cyril and Methodius, originated from Thessalonica, and considered as the 'apostles of the Slavs', enlighteners who developed the precursors to the Cyrillic script used today in most Slavic languages. More than 50,000 students study at the Skopje University, including some 700 foreign students. Furthermore, the teaching and research staff number 2,390 people; this is further supported by over 300 members in the university's institutions.
The primary language of instruction is Macedonian, but there are a number of courses which are carried out in English, German, French, Italian and minority languages.
Departments and faculties
The university is divided into 23 faculties and 10 research institutes:
Faculty of PhilosophyFounded in 194612 undergraduate study programmes17 postgraduate study programmes"Blaže Koneski" Faculty of PhilologyFounded in 194611 undergraduate study programmes13 postgraduate study programmesFaculty of Natural Sciences and MathematicsFounded in 194624 undergraduate study programmes31 postgraduate study programmesFaculty of Agricultural Sciences and FoodFounded in 194710 undergraduate study programmes24 postgraduate study programmesFaculty of ForestryFounded in 19474 undergraduate study programmes17 postgraduate study programmesMedical FacultyFounded in 19473 undergraduate study programmes24 postgraduate study programmes"St. Clement of Ohrid" Faculty of PedagogyFounded in 19476 undergraduate study programmesFaculty of ArchitectureFounded in 19491 undergraduate study programme4 postgraduate study programmesFaculty of Civil EngineeringFounded in 19495 undergraduate study programmes4 postgraduate study programmesFaculty of EconomicsFounded in 19507 undergraduate study programmes10 postgraduate study programmes"Iustinianus Primus" Faculty of LawFounded in 19513 undergraduate study programmes6 postgraduate study programmesFaculty of Mechanical EngineeringFounded in 19599 undergraduate study programmes6 postgraduate study programmesFaculty of Electrical Engineering and Information TechnologyFounded in 19598 undergraduate study programmes9 postgraduate study programmesFaculty of Technology and MetallurgyFounded in 19599 undergraduate study programmes16 postgraduate study programmesFaculty of StomatologyFounded in 19593 undergraduate study programmes7 postgraduate study programmesFaculty of MusicFounded in 196627 undergraduate study programmes36 postgraduate study programmesFaculty of Dramatic ArtsFounded in 19697 undergraduate study programmes13 postgraduate study programmesFaculty of Physical EducationFounded in 19772 undergraduate study programmes2 postgraduate study programmesFaculty of PharmacyFounded in 19772 undergraduate study programme9 postgraduate study programmesFaculty of Fine ArtsFounded in 19804 undergraduate study programmes3 postgraduate study programmesFaculty of Veterinary MedicineFounded in 19911 undergraduate study programme5 postgraduate study programmesFaculty of Design and Technologies of Furniture and InteriorFounded in 20102 undergraduate study programmes8 postgraduate study programmesFaculty of Computer Science and Computer EngineeringFounded in 2010 by uniting of institutes (institutes founded 1982)8 undergraduate study programmes16 postgraduate study programmesInstitute of AgricultureFounded in 1923Institute of National HistoryFounded in 1948"Marko Cepenkov" Institute of FolkloreFounded in 1950Institute of Cattle BreedingFounded in 1952Institute of EconomicsFounded in 1952"Krste Misirkov Institute of the Macedonian Language"Founded in 1953Institute of Sociological, Political, and Juridical ResearchFounded in 1965Institute of Earthquake and Seismology EngineeringFounded in 1965"St. Clement of Ohrid" Faculty of TheologyFounded in 1977Institute of Macedonian LiteratureFounded in 1998During the Bulgarian occupation of Vardar Banovina (1941-1944) the new authorities established in 1943, in Skopje, Macedonia's first institute of higher education - the Tsar Boris III University. Due to the withdrawal of the Bulgarian administration in the Autumn of 1944, the University stopped its educational activity. However, after the establishment of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia, on the third session of the Presidium of the Antifascist Council of the National Liberation of Macedonia, held in April 1945, one of the items on the agenda was the question of opening a Macedonian university to replace the Bulgarian one. At the end of 1946, the concept of a university began to be realized and the official opening ceremony for the Faculty of Philosophy, the cornerstone of the University of Skopje, took place on 29 November of that year. This marked the beginning of a Macedonian state university. The first faculty consisted of the Department of History and Philology and the Department of Mathematics and Natural Science, while the Medical Faculty and the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry were added in 1947. Fifty-eight students enrolled during the first academic year of 1946–1947; in the next year this number grew to 907. The development of higher education in Macedonia was characterized by rapid growth, and several other faculties were added in the following years. Parallel to the education activities in the existing faculties, scholarly research was undertaken with the development of independent institutes of research. Thus, the Institute of National History was founded in 1948, followed by Institute of Folklore in 1949, and the Institute of Economics in 1952. Today, there are 10 research institutes affiliated with the University of Skopje.
After the great 1963 Skopje earthquake, which destroyed most of the city of Skopje, the university was leveled and some of the most modern laboratories in Yugoslavia were destroyed. By this time the University of Skopje was the third largest in Yugoslavia. It was quickly rebuilt on the premises of a much larger and modern urban campus. At the request of Yugoslav authorities, scientists from UNESCO's Department of Natural Sciences were sent to meet with the university's scientists to develop plans for the rehabilitation of the university's science laboratories. As a result, a large donation of equipment for science teaching and research was gathered from around the world through UNESCO's international programme of aid to Skopje.
At present, the University of Skopje is carried out in the spirit of the 1991 Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia, which incorporated the social, economic and political changes that had taken place after Macedonia proclaimed its independence from the Former Yugoslav Federate State. On 3 August 2000 the Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia brought the new Law on Higher Education which adopted the overall European standards of higher education. The management organs of the university are the University Senate, consisting of two staff members from each faculty and scientific research institutes, five appointed members by the government of the Republic of Macedonia and five students delegated from the Student Organization; the University Board, consisting of the rector, the vice-rectors, the secretary general, the deans of the faculties, the directors of the scientific-research institutes and one student representative; and the rector. The university represents a functional community of 25 faculties and 10 research institutes.
The Ss. Cyril and Methodius University’s mission is to be an:
autonomous, scientific and higher educational university that provides teaching, scholar and applicative activities in technical, natural sciences and mathematics, bio-technical, artistic, medical and social sciences;university devoted to the cherishing as well as the international affirmation of the traditional features and values of the Macedonian people such as: the Macedonian language, the history, the literature and culture of the Macedonian people and also the cultural values of the ethnic communities in the Republic of Macedonia;university open for all students on the basis of equality and their results regardless of their ideological, political, cultural and social background;university that concords its academic offer to the needs of its social surrounding and has a continuously dynamic relationship with it;university that creates stimulative surrounding for its employees providing them a progress of their abilities in order to accomplish its mission;university that develops long-life and continuous education;university determined to achieve the European norms and standards in all spheres of its activities.Džordže Arsov – Mayor of Kisela VodaDimitar Bogov – Governor of National Bank of the Republic of MacedoniaLjube Boškoski – Former Minister of Internal Affairs of MacedoniaVlado Bučkovski – Former Prime Minister of MacedoniaBranko Crvenkovski – 3rd President of MacedoniaŽivko Čingo – WriterGeorgi Efremov – Macedonian Academician and scientist at Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts in the field of Genetic Engineering and BiotechnologyFatmir Besimi – Minister of EconomyNikola Dimitrov – former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Macedonian Ambassador to the United StatesIgor Durlovski – opera singerLazar Elenovski – former Minister of DefenseTaki Fiti – former Minister of FinanceLjubomir Frčkoski – author of the Constitution of MacedoniaLjubčo Georgievski – former Prime Minister of MacedoniaMaja Hill – Artist, formerly Maja DzartovskaGjorge Ivanov – President of Republic of Macedonia and Supreme Commander-in-Chief of Macedonian ArmyZoran Jolevski – Macedonian Ambassador to the United States and Negotiator for the Macedonia naming disputeSasho Kalajdzievski – Professor of Mathematics, University of Manitoba in CanadaSashko Kedev – former Presidential CandidateGabriela Konevska-Trajkovska – Deputy Prime Minister in charge of European IntegrationTrifun Kostovski – businessman and former Mayor of SkopjeJagnula Kunovska – Member of ParliamentSehadete Mekuli – gynecologistAntonio Milošoski – Minister of Foreign AffairsJudge Branko Naumoski – Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of MacedoniaTito Petkovski – Member of ParliamentFilip Petrovski – former Member of Parliament and Director of the City LibraryLuan Starova – writer and scholarZoran Stavrevski – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finances of MacedoniaGeneral Miroslav Stojanovski – Chief of General Staff of Republic of MacedoniaSir Boris Trajkovski – 2nd President of MacedoniaVasil Tupurkovski – Macedonian politician