IAESTE

Karnegijeva 4/I
Phone: 3229-077
Fax: 3031-676
E-mail: iaeste@tmf.bg.ac.yu
http://www.iaeste.org.yu

IAESTE is an international, non-profit-making organization, which organizes international exchange programmes for student, post-graduate and doctorate studies, including professional practice and specialization, for the students of Technical and Natural Sciences. The programme is arranged on a reciprocal basis between international institutions of higher education. IAESTE is a consultative and advisory member of UNESCO with the status of Operational relations. Serbia and Montenegro have been full members of the organization since 1952. Between 150 to 200 foreign students visit the country each year and between 250-300 home students travel abroad to study through the exchange programme operated by IAESTE. Current legislation in this country mandates the number of students who travel abroad through this exchange programme.

Each year, at a concourse held at the beginning of November, final year students of the Faculties of Technical and Natural Sciences may apply to take part in this exchange programme, if they fulfill the following pre-conditions; final year students, who must undertake mandatory professional practice, following their graduation and who have not failed any year of study and are fluent in a foreign language, (which will be verified by a University professor.) Each faculty will then base their decision on the total marks achieved by the applicant, during their studies. The results of the decisions by each Faculty will then be displayed, as a ranked list of applicants, which will be signed by either the Dean or Vice-dean.

On average, our students spend 16 weeks in the exchange programme, although some exchanges may extend from 6 weeks to 18 months.
During their stay abroad, the host country’s National Committee of the IAESTE is obliged to fund the visiting students with either a stipend or salary, in order to ensure that the student can maintain an acceptable standard of living during their stay. These salaries and stipends vary between 200 and 3,000 U.S. Dollars, according to the country.

Many of our students take part in the exchange programmes during the summer months while others take advantage of University rules which allow them to suspend their studies, while studying abroad. A significant number complete their graduate, master and doctorate theses during their time abroad. (I.e. during the current year 15 of our graduate students, were able, through the conditions of the Bologna Process and IAESTE exchange programmes, to complete their Doctorate studies in E.E.C membership countries.)

At the end of each November the sub-committees of the Universities of Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš, Kragujevac and Podgorica, supply the faculties, whose students participate in the International exchange programmes, with an official list of the students who have taken part in the programmes. In accordance with University law, this may then be used by students as official evidence and confirmation of the programme they have completed.