PARTNERSHIPS

Establishing, fostering and developing cooperation with other universities in the country and abroad, along with international organizations concerned with matters of higher education, has been an everlasting commitment of the University of Belgrade. 

Various and long-lasting activities in the field of international relations resulted in numerous bilateral agreements of cooperation with partner universities on every continent within several different framework programs, such as inter-university bilateral agreements, Erasmus+, summer schools, foundations, public-private partnerships, etc. 

In the below table you may search through our active bilateral (inter-university) and Erasmus+ agreements, as well as through the agreements on hosting summer schools. 

Important: Foreign university/institution that wishes to initiate cooperation with the University of Belgrade should officially contact the International Relations Office. Of the University of Belgrade. Cooperation is exclusively negotiated between the UB International Relations Office and the relevant office of the foreign HEI (International Relations Office, Erasmus Office, Global Mobility Office, Rector’s Office, etc.). If you are a student/staff at the foreign university and would like to initiate cooperation with UB, please get in touch with the office in charge at your home university. 

University Agreements 

NETWORKS AND ASSOCIATIONS

The University of Belgrade is committed to its membership in prestigious international networks, associations and alliances of universities and HE institutions oriented towards academic and research excellence, while taking an active role in building international societies in various aspects and fields of common interest. 

CIRCLE U. EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY ALLIANCE

Following its strong commitment to the idea of European Universities Initiative and its aim to promote European values and increase the quality and competitiveness of European Higher Education, the University of Belgrade has proudly joined the Circle U. European University Alliance in 2019. 

Comprised of universities from 9 European countries, the Circle U. is committed to building an inclusive, research-intensive and interdisciplinary European university by 2030: Aarhus University Denmark, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany, King’s College London, United Kingdom, Université Paris Cité, France University of Belgrade, Serbia, UC Louvain, Belgium, University of Oslo, Norway, University of Pisa, Italy and University of Vienna, Austria. 

Among other activities, in its first years the Circle U. will be promoting student and staff mobility between its members. For mobility opportunities available to the students and staff from Circle U. members, please see section Why choose Belgrade. 

FOUNDATIONS

The University of Belgrade works closely with the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research and ITO Foundation, both from Japan. The ITO Foundation awards scholarships for specialized training in Japan to the best graduate students. Sylff Fellowship Fund of the University of Belgrade was founded in 1988 with the resources awarded by the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research. The resources of this fund are being used to award the best graduate, i.e. doctoral students in the fields of social sciences and humanities. The donors’ aim is to give support to students showing extraordinary accomplishments in their studies and in carrying out their projects both in the country and abroad.

SYLFF (The Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowships Fund)

SYLFF (The Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowships Fund) was founded in 1987 by the Nippon Foundation to support graduate students in the humanities and social sciences. The program gathers 69 most prestigious universities and HE institutions from 44 countries. Since its foundation 16000 students have been granted scholarships and after completion of studies became professionally engaged in variety of fields. Information on institutions – members of the SYLFF program – can be found at the official SYLFF website: http://www.tokyofoundation.org/sylff/institutions

The SYLFF program aims to identify and support the best students – future leaders – who will invest their integrity and motivation to help their countries orient towards tackling global issues and solving specific local problems, using socio-political instruments and mechanisms. 

Following the vision and the legacy of the founder, support to the best students is given through scholarships granted by the Nippon Foundation. Scholarships are allocated to selected HE institutions around the globe, while the administration of the program is executed by the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research. Such organization ensures for a sustainable and continuous support. We encourage you to listen to the message of the Chairman of the Nippon Foundation, HE Mr. Yohei Sasakawa, at the following link: http://www.tokyofoundation.org/sylff/about/message_sasakawa  

For more information about the program and available scholarship schemes please visit the official website of the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research: http://www.tokyofoundation.org/sylff/about/what_is_sylff  

Cooperation of the University of Belgrade and the SYLFF program started back in 1989, only two years after the SYLFF was founded as one of the leading programs of the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research (www.tkfd.or.jp). The University of Belgrade was the 10th jubilee university in the world which had been granted a donation from Japan to financially support its best students in the humanities and social sciences. The first SYLFF scholarships were awarded to the students of the University of Belgrade in 1990, and more than 120 students of the University of Belgrade have received this support so far. 

The aim of the implementation of the SYLFF program at the University of Belgrade is to support continuation of education of PhD students with high potential for leadership at national, regional and international levels, within both public and private sectors. Scholarships are granted to extraordinary students of the UB Faculty of Law, Faculty of Philology, Faculty of Philosophy and Faculty of Political Sciences, in the fields of humanities and social sciences. 

Please note that the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research does not accept individual applications for scholarships. Sylff Steering Committees, founded at HE institutions which participate in the program, are in charge of the program implementation, including announcing the call and selecting the candidates.  

Every year, the call for scholarships is announced by the Sylff Steering Committee of the University of Belgrade.  

The call is announced once a year and remains open for at least a month. All eligible candidates are invited to submit their research plans and are called in for interview with the members of the Sylff Steering Committee at the University of Belgrade. Selection criteria include the average grade of a candidate in the course of their studies, as well as their published works, if any, and the quality and relevance of the proposed research plan. The call is announced in the media, on the website of the University of Belgrade, as well as the University’s social media accounts, detailing the information on selection criteria, deadlines, contact details and instructions for submitting applications.  

Support programs offered by the SYLFF Association aim to facilitate SYLFF fellows’ academic advancement, leadership development and networking among one another. For more information about SYLFF Support Programs please visit the following link: www.sylff.org/support_programs 

Ms. Branka Janda Marković  
Head of the International Relations Office of the University of Belgrade 
University of Belgrade 
Studentski trg 1 
11000 Belgrade 
markob@rect.bg.ac.rs 
+381 11 3207445  

More information about the SYLFF Program can be found at: www.tokyofoundation.org/sylff 

ITO FOUNDATION

The ITO Foundation for International Education Exchange was established to realize the wishes of the late Master Shinjo Ito, founder of the Shinnyo-en Buddhist order. Shinjo Ito took the decision to devote himself fully to the religious life in 1936, at the age of 30. Having mastered the Buddhist traditions and attained the rank of Great Acharya at Daigoji, head temple of the Shingon school, he established a lay Buddhist order in the city of Tachikawa, near Tokyo, Japan. The new order was based on the last teachings of the Buddha as given in the Mahaparinirvana Sutra. Shinjo passed away in 1989. Shinjo’s global outlook demonstrated a deep understanding of the need for education. During his lifetime, he supported academic research, encouraged community service, and promoted schools in developing countries.

The ITO Foundation for International Education Exchange was established to fulfill Master Shinjo’s wish to support young people with Integrity, Talent, and Originality (ITO). Scholarships are awarded to promote mutual understanding between Japan and other nations, with the aim of nurturing people who can contribute internationally. 

The call for applications for this scholarship is announced once a year, usually in late June. All candidates are informed about the application procedure and required application documents, while eligible candidates are called in for interview with the members of the Scholarship Selection Committee. The short-listed candidates’ documents are sent to Japan for ITO Foundations review and final decision (usually by the end of March the following year). The call is announced on the website of the University of Belgrade, and relevant information about the call is forwarded to all members of the University of Belgrade 

Ms. Ljubica Dimitrijević  

Deputy Head of Office 

International Relations Office of the University of Belgrade 

University of Belgrade 

Studentski trg 1 

11000 Belgrade 

stamlj@rect.bg.ac.rs 

+381 11 3207455 

PARTNERING WITH UB

Join us in forging partnerships and creating a lasting impact! 

The University of Belgrade welcomes higher education institutions and stakeholders to reach out and initiate cooperation. 

Contact us at iro@rect.bg.ac.rs to explore opportunities together. To help us categorize and prioritize, please include „Cooperation Proposal – [Institution Name], [Country]“ in the subject line.