-
What is the programme of the Future Studies besides teaching?
-
To whom is the programme intended and who are the BOS students?
-
Where and how long does the teaching of the Future Studies programme takes place?
-
Is there any participation fee for Future Studies programme?
1. What is the Belgrade Open School (BOS)?
The Belgrade Open School (BOS) is a non-profit, educational organization of a civil society founded in 1993. BOS enhances human resources, improves the work of public institutions and civil society organizations, develops and advocates public policies aimed at buildling democratic and knowledge-based society. The vision of the Belgrade Open School is a better society based on freedom, knowledge, and innovation.
2. What is DAUS?
DAUS is an acronym for the Department of Advanced Undergraduate Studies. The Department of Advanced Undergraduate Studies has been one of the first centers of the Belgrade Open School. The aim of this department has been to further educate and connect selected students through multidisciplinary academic programmes in the field of social sciences and humanities.
In October 2012, DAUS was renamed into the Future Studies Programme. It is a one-year academic program of the Belgrade Open School.
3. What is the Future Studies programme?
The Future Studies programme includes the modules of knowledge and skills, the internship program, A2S mentoring program, and the final project. The program has the goal to empower students to understand and influence the mainstream global trends and challenges that the modern world faces. In addition to the mandatory activities, students can choose extra-curriculum activities such as psychological workshops, winter school of teamwork, literary club, socializing, as well as sports activities.
4. When did the Future Studies programme?
Educational programs for selected students of the Belgrade Open School by 2015 were realized through the work of the Department for Advanced Undergraduate Studies (DAUS). The creation of the Department for Advanced Undergraduate Studies, as well as its progress, followed the development of the Belgrade Open School itself. The Belgrade Open School was founded in November 1993 as a Credibel Bank educational program for the most talented students of economics and psychology. Since 1996, it changed its name to the Belgrade Open School. In the period between October 1996 and June 1998, the Main Program for the best students was organized. From October 1998 to June 2000, two one-year programs - Main and Open - were conducted simultaneously in the School. In the period from October 2000 to June 2007, two programs were organized: Main programme and the European Union and the Balkans programme. The Main Programme framework consisted of multidisciplinary modules in the field of social sciences and humanities, modules of skills and tutorial programme, while the programme about the European Union and the Balkans was based on the analysis and interpretation of the legal, political, economic and cultural aspects of the development of the European Union and the process of European integration. This programme was unique in Serbia at that moment and as such did not exist in the formal education system back then. One-year academic programme Multidisciplinary undergraduate studies was organized in the period from October 2007 to June 2012. It was intended for selected students of final years of studies, who wanted to expand their knowledge in the field of civic culture, the values of civil society and European integration, and to acquire the skills that can be applied in future professional opportunities. The Future Studies programme has been implemented since the academic year 2012/2013. To this day, it aims at enabling students to shape and impact the future trends creating democratic, innovative, and inclusive society in Serbia.
5. What are the objectives of the Future Studies Programme?
The Future Studies programme has four objectives:
- through the modules of knowledge and skills to strengthen the competences of the students and to provide them with a wider picture of contemporary society;
- through the internship program to prepare the students for the world of work and help them acquire competences that are in demand at the labour market;
- through the final project to strengthen students' critical thinking;
- to link participants throughout the program, and later as part of the alumni organization, to network young educated leaders who take significant positions in different sectors of society and to contribute to its development.
6. What are the themes of the Future Studies programme?
The module represents a short course consisting of several teaching units (interactive lectures, workshops, simulations). As such, it is a part of a more complex system, in this case of an educational programme.
Within the curriculum of the Future Studies there are three modules of knowledge: 1. Future of the State and Society, 2. Future of Europe, 3. Classroom 4.0. and one module of skills: 1. Skills for the Future. Each module consists of 10 teaching units (interactive lectures, workshops, simulations). Within the three modules of knowledge, students and lecturers grow together while exchanging the ideas, information, and opinions about the topics in question. Skills for the Future module is designed in form of workshops during which students explore and expand their personal capacities and enhance professional development.
By completing the Future Studies programme, students are be able to:
- Define and analyze challenges posed by post-democratic and polycentric societies, multiculturalism, international relations, security, information society and new media, gender equality and identity;
- Critically engage in debates about the future of Europe;
- Understand trends of socio-economic development of the contemporary world, define and analyze the processes of globalization, sustainable development, climate change, demographic trends, changes in the labor market;
- Advance skills through internships, preparation of the final project and active participation in the Skills for the Future module.
The Future Studies programme covers a wide range of topics in the field of social sciences and humanities, organized in the format of knowledge and skills modules such as:
- Creation and development of post-democratic and polycentric societies, multiculturalism, international relations, global security and its challenges, information society and new media, gender equality and identity, development of new tendencies in relation to state and society, conditions for the emergence democratic political culture.
- Sovereignty and other challenges of further political unification on the European continent, the principle of multi-level governance in the European Union, the EU's common foreign and security policy, EU neighborhood policy, sustainable development and resource management, protection of personal data and legal regulation, economy and economic crises in Europe, as well as the process of European integration of Serbia.
- The processes in the socio-economic sphere of modern society, the new technological revolution and its consequences and opportunities, the latest trends in the development of the society, economy, finance, environmental policy, architecture, medicine, science, and technology.
- The essentials needed for advancement and management in modern society: time and stress management, career management and work ethics, business idea formulation, financial literacy, event organization, public performance and presentation skills, digital literacy, lobbying and negotiation skills, teamwork skills. In addition, students will acquire the skills of writing and critical thinking.
7. What is the programme of the Future Studies besides teaching?
In addition to the mandatory curriculum, different workshops, training, psychological workshops, literary club, and Students2Students program are part of the Future Studies that students can voluntarily attend. Students also receive regular information on all conferences, seminars, and activities of BOS partners, which they can attend freely.
Particular emphasis is placed on the Winter School of Teamwork which takes place in the late semester. It represents an opportunity to obtain leadership and teamwork skills and during the Winter School, a group transforms in team.
8. To whom is the programme intended and who are the BOS students?
The programme is intended for students of the final years and students of master studies, natural, technical and social-humanities faculties, all of the universities in Belgrade. Students should be, or are, active and socially engaged and successfully pass through the selection process organized by the Belgrade Open School. All students enrolling the Future Studies educational program become BOS students.
9. How can I become a BOS student?
The selection process for the Belgrade Open School students is carried out in three phases:
I Candidates Registration
Interested students apply for the Belgrade Open School programme by submitting required documentation. All the necessary information regarding the open call and application process is avaiable at the websites of the Belgrade Open School and of the educational program Future Studies. The open-call is announced before the end of the academic year of the educational programme (April / May of the current year).
Applicants who have submitted entire documentation enter the second round of selection, which implies knowledge testing.
II Knowledge Testing
All the candidates pass the test of knowledge that involves:
- General knowledge test;
- Ability Test;
- General English test.
Based on the quality of the application and the results of the tests, the ranking list of candidates is compiled and those highly ranked are invited to the interview.
III Interview and Final Selection
Commission of the Belgrade Open School will conduct interviews with invited candidates. After the interviews, on the basis of the overall performance, the Commission will select up to 25 best students who will attend a one-year academic program.
10. What are the obligations of BOS students?
Mutual rights and obligations of students and the Belgrade Open School are regulated by signing the Agreement on the rights and obligations of students and the Belgrade Open School during the academic year.
The Belgrade Open School is obliged to carry out the planned program for students in the period October-June, while the students are obliged to:
- Regularly attend classes of the Future Studies programme;
- Regularly attend special lectures and other activities within the framework of the Future Studies;
- Timely and within the set deadline, perform all assigned tasks and assumed obligations;
- Finish an internship programme in an institution/organization;
- Write a final project that will be published in an electronic edition of the Belgrade Open School (Collection of students' essays of the Belgrade Open School);
- Partially participate with a total share of 28,000 dinars (VAT included) for the whole academic year. The total amount can be paid in seven equal monthly instalments, each in the amount of 4,000 dinars (VAT included).
11. Where does the Future Studies programme take place and how long it lasts?
The programme takes place in the premises of the Belgrade Open School, Masarikova 5, 16th floor, "Beograđanka“ building. It lasts one academic year. It is realized through the organization of classes for knowledge and skills modules, A2S mentorship program, internships and final project.
Lectures last for two semesters, structured as two modules per semester. The first semester lasts from October until the end of December of the current year, and the second from February to May of the following year. Students get two schedules - one that refers only to lectures and another that cover other activities on the programme such as the internship programme, the mentoring program and the final project.
Each module consists of 10 interactive lectures, workshops or simulations for 90 to 180 minutes. Interactive lectures, workshops and simulations are organized on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from the earliest 17:00 until 22:00 at the latest (depending on which additional activities the students choose).
12. Who are the lecturers on the programme?
Future Studies is a programme whose theme and lecturers are defined and proposed by the members of the Programme Committee, including: Marinko Vučinić (Program Advisor of the Belgrade Open School), Jelena Babić (MA, Project Manager, EU Integration, Belgrade Open School), Lazar Džamić (Creative Strategist and Lecturer at the Faculty of Media and Communications), Evica Kuč (Communications and Development Manager, Belgrade Open School), and Dobrivoje Lale Erić (Head of the Sector for International Cooperation, Center for the Promotion of Science).
Lecturers and associates of the program are university professors, scientific associates from various institutes, people from public administration, non-governmental sector, media, business sector, religious communities, economics. The Belgrade Open School supports the engagement of its alumni who are today in different positions in all sectors and areas.
13. What do I get by participating in this programme?
The Future Studies programme addresses the main challenges and trends that affect the development of humanity, putting world, Europe, the Western Balkans region, and Serbia in a comparative perspective. By participating in the Future Studies programme, students gain theoretical and practical knowledge to understand global changes, as well as to understand anthropological, technological, cultural, political and economic disruptions.
14. Is there any participation fee for Future Studies programme?
The Belgrade Open School covers the largest part of the programme costs, whereas the students participate by the total amount of 28,000 dinars (VAT included) that can be paid in seven equal monthly installments.
15. What is the BOS alumni organization?
The alumni organization was established in 1998, and today it gathers more than 1,200 former students. The alumni organization aims at connecting former students of the BOS and strengthening the network of young educated leaders who occupy influential positions in different sectors of society; thus actively participating in the process of transition towards democracy and to the market economy.
The quality of the BOS's programmes, the importance of knowledge and skills that students acquire during their education at the BOS, become an exceptional recommendation for prospective jobs in many fields. Members of the Alumni of the Belgrade Open School work at faculties, institutes, companies, banks, government institutions, non-governmental organizations, and political parties.
A vast number of alumni have built or continues to pursue their career abroad, working for large corporations, the World Bank, the International Criminal Court in The Hague, etc. A significant number of the BOS alumni teach at universities and are associates of scientific institutes. They are in a position, by expanding other methods of work, to affect the development and modernization of the universities. BOS students are assistants, assistant professors, associate professors, and full professors at the Faculty of Economics, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Philosophy, Faculty of Political Sciences, Faculty of Philology, Faculty of Architecture, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Mining and Geology and Faculty of Physical Education. However, most of the alumni work in the profit sector in the Republic of Serbia. Therefore, they work in leading banks, consulting companies, brokerage houses, lawyers' offices, the pharmaceutical industry, construction companies, etc.
A significant number of alumni have completed or are completing postgraduate studies in the United States, the UK (Cambridge, Oxford, Birmingham), Italy (European University of Florence, University of Bologna), Hungary (Central European University), Belgium (European College of Bruges), the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, and Germany.