Macedonian Members of Parliament adopted a law on the establishment of Damjan Gruev University for National Defense, Security and Peace in Skopje.
Deputy Minister of Education and Science Spiro Ristovski said the main idea behind the setting up of the university was to boost the quality of higher education, first and foremost in several areas deemed of ‘exceptional significance for the overall progress of Macedonia.’
The university is planned to start operating in 2016-2017 academic year. The Military Academy, the Air Force School and the Institute of Command and HQ Functions, which are already functional, are going to be integrated into the new university. Professors from abroad are mainly hired to teach at the university and classes will be largely held in English.
“The intention is to focus on improving the quality of education while at the same time avoiding hyperproduction of graduates,” Deputy Minister Spirovski said.
MP Solza Grceva called the establishment of Damjan Gruev University ‘a political project without any strategy at all.’
“It is going to badly affect education in general and the Cyril and Methodius University will suffer an additional blow.”
VMRO-DPMNE Ilija Dimovski stated the Damjan Gruev University for National Defense, Security and Peace was being established in an effort to improve the state of play in higher education.
According to DPA deputy Orhan Ibraim, the establishment of a new university in Skopje paved the way toward ‘segregation’, rather than toward ‘internal integration and coexistence (in the country).’ SDSM’s parliamentary group didn’t attend the sessions on Monday and Tuesday after announcing it will freeze its activities in Parliament until the Constitutional Court rules on the constitutional status of the Special Public Prosecution (SPO).
According to the opposition parliamentary group, by initially withdrawing and then reintroducing a new bill on the establishment of Damjan Gruev University, predicting three more faculties than initially planned to be set up – namely faculties of economics, construction engineering and architecture – VMRO-DPMNE had acknowledged that the interpellation of the chairwoman of the parliamentary committee on education was ‘wellfounded’.
Moreover, Parliament at Tuesday’s session also adopted bills amending the Law on Higher Education and the Law on the Establishment of Tetovo State University