Podgorica, June 29, 2021 - Almost all faculties of the University of Montenegro (UoM) will allow online enrolment of first-year students this year. Quick and easy enrollment in the study program of one's choice will be made possible to all high school graduates through a platform available on the upisi.edu.me website developed by UNDP in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports and the Ministry of Public Administration, Digital Society and Media, with the financial support of the European Union.

Electronic enrollment has reduced logistical and systemic barriers to enrollment by making it more accessible to high school graduates from all over Montenegro, who now have online access to UoM faculties through an online application system. No documents need to be attached to the application, meaning there is no need for submitting a birth certificate or any other certificate. Candidates fill in the basic information in the electronic application, enter their e-mail address, as well as the faculty to which they apply. After registration and entering the Citizen's Unique Identification Number (JMBG) – basic personal data are taken over from the information system of the Ministry of Interior, while data on grades and academic achievements during four grades of high school are taken over from the register of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports.

On average, about 3,500 high school graduates enroll in the first year of undergraduate studies at the University of Montenegro. The introduction of paperless online service makes the enrollment system more transparent, simpler and more efficient, which in turn increases the quality of student service – this was said during today's press conference held at the UoM.

Vice-Rector for Teaching of the University of Montenegro Prof. Dr. Veselin Mićanović expressed his satisfaction with the synchronization of the work of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports and the University of Montenegro, which made possible the electronic enrollment in 16 faculties of the UoM.

"High school graduates who apply for enrolment in organizational units where the entrance exam is not planned, will be able to see how they are ranked in a short period of time." Candidates who are scheduled to take this exam will be able to access the ranking list after the results of the exam are entered into the electronic database," he said, adding that electronic enrollment does not include the Faculty of Fine Arts, Faculty of Dramatic Arts and Music Academy, due to specific admission criteria.

He also mentioned that candidates who have completed part or all of the secondary education process abroad, as well as those who enrolled earlier and do not have their information archived in the electronic databases of the relevant ministries, must submit their applications directly by submitting documentation to the faculties they wish to enroll. Their applications are then processed together with applications from other candidates.

The Minister of Public Administration, Digital Society and Media, Tamara Srzentić, emphasized that young people represent our nation's greatest capital, and that she believes that by launching the eStudent platform we will provide a truly digital experience to all prospective students, who seek to enroll in the first year of undergraduate studies at the University of Montenegro. "In this way, we enable future students to enroll in faculty very simply, from any location, without waiting in lines, and without a lot of paperwork and documentation. This is the first step in reducing unnecessary red tape and paperwork, which is one of the strategic goals of our Ministry," said Srzentić. "Bearing in mind that the young are the source of the biggest changes and the biggest users of digital technologies, we have recognized the electronic enrollment service is as very important and necessary. We are especially happy and at the same time grateful that colleagues from the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports recognized all the benefits of this service, and helped the implementation with their resources and active participation," she said.

Srzentić emphasized that it is planned to implement several new e-services in the next period, all of which are needed by all citizens, especially if when it comes to applying for issuing personal documents such as ID cards and passports. "In addition to this, we are working on improving the connectivity of our systems, that is their interoperability, in order to put an end to the practice that citizens must visit several different institutions in order to access one service," she said. "We are trying to create the best possible environment for all citizens, and I hope that all young people, who are soon to become university students, with all their knowledge and future expertise, can help us build a better, more digital Montenegro, which will make young people stay in the country and offer them the best opportunities for their further development," Srzentić concludes.

Neda Ojdanić, Director General of the Directorate for Tertiary Education in the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, spoke about the number of advantages of electronic services. She pointed out that the particular advantage of this electronic service reflects in the fact that future students can see their ranking at any time, and depending on how they are ranked, they can cancel their application and submit a new application for enrollment in another faculty or study program. "The advantage is that applications can be submitted continuously during the enrollment period, regardless of the working hours of the higher education institution, which saves money and time to students who do not live in the municipality where the faculty they want to enroll is," says Ojdanić, reminding that this is the second electronic service that the Ministry of ESCS is implementing this month, after the successful electronic enrollment in primary music schools.

Marina Matijević, Head of the Department for Information and Communication Technologies, Statistics and Digitalization of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, presented the method of registration, application as well as the procedure for submitting an electronic request.

UNDP Resident Representative Daniela Gašparikova told prospective students that she hoped the year ahead would bring many useful experiences to them. "We understand that your schooling has been harder than ever in the past two years. However, by getting this far, you have already shown great strength and commitment – and that is what fills us with hope for the future. Your enrolment into higher education takes place on the wings of two substantial shifts, which we have witnessed over the last decade. First, learning as a process is no longer linked to any particular age group. More than ever before, learning has become a lifelong endeavor. It can take different forms at different stages of our lives, but given the speed of change that is happening in the world these days - learning never really ends. Second, in the years to come, it is expected that more than 70% of all new jobs will require qualifications and skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Therefore, in order to take advantage of the business opportunities brought by the development of technology and digitalization, I would like to take this opportunity to encourage as many of you as possible, especially young women and girls – to choose education in STEM disciplines as an integral part of the study program you choose ", Gašparikova said.

A new digital service for electronic student enrollment was created within the project "E-services and digital infrastructure in response to COVID-19", implemented by UNDP in partnership with the Ministry of Public Administration, Digital Society and Media, with the financial support of the European Union. This electronic service is part of the comprehensive public administration reform in Montenegro, which aims to make the administration more efficient, transparent and closer to citizens and the economy.