Belgrade

SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS FROM SENSITIVE SOCIAL GROUPS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INCLUSIVE CULTURE

Location/geographical coverage

Faculty of Law, Belgrade University, City Belgrade, Republic of Serbia

Background and description

Students from sensitive social groups (disabled, Roma, socially disadvantaged) are facilitated to enroll the faculty and are provided with continuous support during their studies, in order to ensure equal opportunities for education of all students at this higher education institution.

Good practice is implemented every year, in a certain period and/or throughout the year, depending on its nature and taking into account the needs of the users.

In addition to observing the enrollment quotas prescribed by law for students with disabilities and Roma students, the following is practiced:

  • financial relief for sensitive categories of students (reduction of tuition fees, free preparatory classes for taking the entrance exam, exemption from costs for taking the entrance exam, etc.),
  • special scholarships and prizes are awarded to socially disadvantaged students (100 scholarships of the Faculty of Law; prizes of the “Prof. Dr. Mirko Vasiljević” foundation).

During their studies, students with special needs are provided with assistance when registering for exams, postponing or changing the examiner, submitting various requests and resolving them (students with disabilities often do the above through communication via e-mail or telephone). In the described way, it is easier for students to study and save money for travel expenses, especially for those who are not from Belgrade.Students with disabilities are allowed to take exams in accordance with their needs – oral/written, separately from other students; they have at their disposal resources that facilitate access to teaching and teaching materials: a ramp for wheelchairs, a tactile map of the building for the visually impaired, e-textbooks for the visually impaired, the JAWS program for the visually impaired, an induction coil for speech amplification in the amphitheater V for the hearing impaired.

Students enrolled under affirmative measures choose their own representative in the Student Parliament who will represent their interests.

In addition to providing various types of support to underrepresented students, the Faculty of Law of the University of Belgrade has been continuously working, especially during the last decade, on the development of an inclusive culture and fostering sensitivity for interculturality among students and employees of this higher education institution.

Convinced that academic and scientific excellence cannot be spoken of today if higher education is not inclusive, the Faculty of Law undertook a series of activities related to the education of male and female students on the principles and values ​​of equality and the fight against discrimination.

This included, first of all, the enrichment of study programs with the subject of Minority Rights, as well as numerous legal clinics which, while there were legal possibilities for this, provided free legal assistance to persons from sensitive social groups, while several of them persistently and successfully dealt with training students for correct and complete understanding of discrimination issues (Legal Clinic for Discrimination Issues, Legal Clinic for Asylum and Refugee Law, Legal Clinic for Combating Human Trafficking).

In addition to formal education, the Faculty of Law’s efforts to promote an inclusive culture in the higher education context are also reflected in the organization of summer schools and conferences dedicated to certain sensitive groups.

  • In September 2009, the summer school “Roma: legal-political dimension” was held with the participation of 65 students from the country and the region; more information at:http://wwwarhiva.ius.bg.ac.rs/vesti-cir%202008-9.htm i https://www.praxis.org.rs/index.php/sr/education-training/item/272-summer-school-the-roma-%E2%80%93-legal-and-political-dimension
  • An international conference on gender discrimination of persons with disabilities held in September 2021; the publication of the proceedings of the conference is planned. The conclusions of the conference contain recommendations for the Faculty of Law to establish additional modalities of good practice related to students with special needs. The recommendations have been submitted to the Faculty Administration and will be considered and implemented in due course.
  • On the website of the Faculty of Law, a special page for students with special needs, it is planned to be opened. There students will be able to easily and clearly get information about the opportunities that exist at the faculty in order to enable them to study undisturbed.
  • A discussion forum for persons with disabilities will be established on the website of the LAWGEM project/Faculty of Law.

Stakeholders and Partners

Beneficiaries of good practice are students from vulnerable social groups: students with disabilities, socially vulnerable students and Roma students, graduates from student dormitories.

Methodological Approach

Starting from the school year 2009/2010. The Faculty of Law of the University of Belgrade finances scholarships for its students with a more modest financial situation. After reviewing the applications received for the competition, the competition commission compiles a ranking list of students who meet the conditions for receiving scholarships, guided by the following criteria: regular enrollment in the next year of study; lower material status of the student; other achieved results (scientific or professional papers, participation in domestic and international law student competitions). The committee selects 100 students at the Bachelor studies (except for first-year students) who are financed from the budget of the Republic of Serbia and students of Master’s academic studies to whom the Faculty of Law pays scholarships in the amount of 10,000 dinars per month.

Validation

According to the vice-dean for scientific and professional work, very often students verbally or by email express their satisfaction for the help provided to them.

Innovation potential

The Faculty of Law is the first higher education institution in Serbia that provides scholarships to its students with its own funds and has been doing so continuously for 13 school years.

Success Factors

In order to replicate this good practice in a similar context, good will, financial resources, knowledge of the needs and risk factors of vulnerable groups are needed.

Constrains

When it comes to the challenges faced by both students and teaching and non-teaching staff in the application of good practice, it should be emphasized that the financial moment has a great impact on the application of good practice.

Also, working with these sensitive groups often requires additional effort from employees, which can be a problem in periods of work overload and with a reduced number of employees.

Lessons learned

Recognizing the needs of sensitive groups, adopting a plan of measures to correct perceived deficiencies, checking the measures plan with representatives of sensitive groups and checking the implementation of the plan of measures by the faculty administration are key messages and lessons learned from past experience.

Sustainability

Donations and education.

Replicability and/or up-scaling potential

Prerequisites for the spread of good practice are an increase in awareness of the need to include the aforementioned groups in normal life and courses with equal opportunities for education.

It is necessary to secure financial resources and cooperate with non-governmental organizations that deal with special sensitive groups.

Conclusion

As a good example of the effectiveness of the existing practice, we state that a completely blind person completed Bachelor academic studies, Master’s studies and is currently enrolled in doctoral studies and in the meantime got a job at the Faculty of Law.

Contact details

For more information on good practices, students and other interested parties can contact the Faculty of Law at the following e-mail address:

pravni@ius.bg.ac.rs

,