STUDENT UNION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NOVI SAD (SUUNS)

Address: Vase Savica 3a, 21 000 Novi Sad, Serbia

Tel/fax: +381 21 6 350 821

Website: www.suuns.org.yu

E-mail: suuns@neobee.net

Vision: EUROPEAN EDUCATION IN EUROPEAN SERBIA.

Mission: EQUAL PARTICIPATION OF STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NOVI SAD IN THE COMMON EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION AREA.

Goals:

§ Reform of higher education at the University of Novi Sad

§ Student welfare reform

§ Raising the level of cultural life at the University of Novi Sad

§ Informing students

§ Advocating student interests and supporting student initiatives

Student Union of the University of Novi Sad (SUUNS) is a non-government, apolitical, non-profit, voluntary and umbrella organization consisting of 13 faculty Student Unions working on local level, with over 1,500 members.

Student Union of the University of Novi Sad members:

• Student Union of the Faculty of Technical Sciences
• Student Union of the Medical Faculty
• Student Union of the Agricultural Faculty
• Student Union of the Faculty of Sciences
• Student Union of the Faculty of Technology
• Student Union of the Faculty of Philosophy
• Student Union of the Faculty of Economy in Novi Sad
• Student Union of the Faculty of Economy in Subotica
• Student Union of the Technical Faculty in Zrenjanin
• Student Union of the Faculty of Education in Sombor
• Student Union of the Art Academy
• Independent Student Union of Faculty of Science
• Independent Student Union of the Faculty of Economy in Subotica

Student Union of the University of Novi Sad was founded in 1997 when the number of faculty student unions rapidly increased and need occurred for a new cooperation, coordination and strengthening. Since the beginning the unions have nourished original student syndicalism. Some of the most important activities are from constant struggling for the reform of the concept of lectures and exams, for improvements in student welfare, providing specialized books and magazines, organizing many public discussions, student privileges, magazine publishing, all the way to protesting. The aim of these actions was to influence on students’ awareness and to show that it is easier to reach a goal when united.

SUUNS is a full member of the Student Union of Serbia, only internationally recognized student organization from Serbia, and within SUS member of the largest network of national student organizations in Europe – ESIB (The National Union of Students in Europe).

SUUNS is independent University student organization, which actively works on free society, freedom and rights of citizens, tolerance, democracy, improvement and development of student and youth initiatives on all levels. Based on those principals SUUNS is organized by departments:

• Department for student welfare
• Department for international cooperation
• Department for local activism
• Department for student rights
• Department for teaching and science
• Department for environmental protection
• Department for culture
• PR office
• Financial office
• Marketing office

Main decision body is Assembly that selects members of Executive Board and name them for coordinating with one of departments. Assembly also selects Supervisory Board. Assembly nominates the president, vice president, financial, PR and marketing officers and members of local council. Local council is a body responsible for decision implementation at faculty level.

Projects and Campaigns:

• Student protests in 1996/97 as a response to stealing of votes in the local elections
• The University Protest in Serbia against the repressive Law on University
• Anti-war campaign “One million Leaflets for Peace”
• Internet magazine “Free Serbia” during the bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999
• EXIT Noise Summer Fest 2000
• “Elect Elections” campaign to increase the number of voters at the elections
• Seminar on student participation in the higher education reform “Don’t walk through the faculty with your eyes closed – pull off the blindfold!”
• Conference on higher education reform in Serbia “Let’s be at the same level”
• “Support the reforms” campaign presenting the necessity of economic reforms from the student angle
• “Teaching of the future” training seminar where students and teaching staff cooperated on suggesting concrete steps toward reforms
• “Your fatherland is calling…to serve as a civilian”

§ Campaigns for freshmen reception

§ Project of ecological workshops "Environment for Europe", financially and professionally supported by OSCE

§ Campaign "Selection" – This campaign has for main aims animation of youth and selection of positive energy and enthusiasm through multimedia happenings with motto "Youth for youth".

§ Campaign for fight against HIV and AIDS "STOP AIDS" for 2003/04

§ Radio shows –"Wonderland" and midnight youth contact broadcasts "Golum", which was broadcasting once a week on Radio Novi Sad.

§ Youth Policy in Vojvodina

§ 2005 Summer School, Novi Sad Serbia, in cooperation with Johns Hopkins University Bologna Center and University of Bologna, Faculty of Law