CROWN PRINCE ALEXANDER OPENS THE CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BELGRADE 

Belgrade, 12 December 2006 – His Royal Highness Crown Prince Alexander II, Prof. Dr. Dejan Popovic Rector of the University of Belgrade and Prof. Dr. Mirko Vasiljevic today officially opened the Centre for Career Development and Counselling students of the University of Belgrade at the Faculty of Law.

The official opening was also attended by HE Mr. Slobodan Vuksanovic Minister of Education and Sport of the Republic of Serbia, Pro-rectors of the University of Belgrade, Deans of Faculties members of the Belgrade University, members of the Advisory Bodies of The Crown and the Board of Directors of the Foundation of the Crown Prince Alexander for Culture and Education, numerous associates and friends of the Centre, as well as the representatives of the companies, foreign cultural centres and student organizations.

The present were addressed by Crown Prince Alexander who emphasized that “the goal of his Foundation and his personal goal is to help young people in Serbia to connect to the World”. Expressing his gratitude to Rector of the Belgrade University and Dean of the Faculty of Law, without whose support the Centre would not be opened today, Crown Prince Alexander pointed out that the Centre is created for all the students of the University of Belgrade, and that it will provide students with the opportunity to connect to the business community and acquire the practical skills of importance for positioning at the labour market in Serbia. Crown Prince Alexander announced that in the following period the similar centres will be initiated at other state universities in Serbia.

Prof. Dr. Dejan Popovic emphasized that establishing the Centre for Career Development is of great importance for the University of Belgrade, since this kind of services exist at all the world universities for decades. He warmly thanked to His Royal Highness for initiating the creation of the Centre for Career Development and Counselling Students and for providing the specially designed training at the University of Nottingham for the initial team that will be working at the Centre.

Prof. Dr. Mirko Vasiljevic greeted the gathered on behalf of the Faculty of Law and said that it is his great honour and pleasure to have the first centre for career development in Serbia opened at the Faculty of Law, which celebrates 165^th anniversary in this year.

The present were also addressed by HE Minister Vuksanovic who expressed his gratitude to Crown Prince Alexander for initiating the international institutional cooperation aiming to develop high quality educational programmes supporting the youth of Serbia.

The creation of the Centre for Career Development at university level in Serbia has been guided by the idea to provide students and graduates with assistance and advice on finding the appropriate jobs and to enable them to explore employment opportunities during the studies and upon graduation. This professional university service is to meet all the needs of students during the process of career development, to provide information and advice which would help students to come up with answers to questions and dilemmas or solutions of the problems while positioning on the labour market. Beside the information and counselling services, the Centre will offer the students the opportunity to gain practical skills through different workshops and internships, as well as with access to an on-line virtual guide on its web site which is under construction

The project of establishing the Centre for Career Development and Counselling Students has been has been made by the Foundation of Crown Prince Alexander for Culture and Education www.royalfamily.org/edufond, which initiated its realization in cooperation with the University of Nottingham www.nottingham.ac.uk and the University of Belgrade www.bg.ac.yu.