Rector’s speech
Dear students,
16 years have passed since the Goce Delcev University began to build its profile within the Macedonian higher education as the youngest higher-education institution in the country. Today, we can proudly say that the vision of creating and developing new state university that will reactivate the south-east region of the country and it will be a newly added value to the Macedonian higher-education has finally been achieved. The realization of this vision meant a lot of work, sacrifices, making big and significant decisions, opening new doors toward the global world of knowledge, modernizing the study programmes and the study conditions and also attracting students from around the world. All of the previous rector, vice-rectors, deans, vice-deans, professors and employees should be praised for the achieved success of the university, because they have selflessly and tirelessly incorporated themselves and their potential into the achievement of the set aims. For this I whole-heartedly thank them.
Since the foundation of the Goce Delcev University until today, a top priority are the needs of the students, their ideas, thinking, wishes and views. The students have the opportunity to be proactively included in all current processes, to participate in all university and faculty bodies and organisations and in this way to be directly included in the decision-making process and the positive changes.
UGD and the students are strong partners for 16 years, which has raised our institution high on the scale of academic knowledge and competence. Together, we have created a university’s whose vision is based on the idea of openness toward the world, following and courageously introducing changes with the aim to develop an entrepreneurial university. The success stories of our students are our biggest pride and motivation to contribute more into the development of the quality of the education.
The Goce Delcev University in Stip actively participates in the development and the advancement of the academic potential of students, it improves the study conditions and the training, and it always follows university stories from abroad as models of success and high standards. We work on the internationalisations and the usage of the possibilities of mobility through Erasmus plus, CEPUS and others. Our university has one of the most broadly developed cooperation networks and exchange network for students and employees. We have more than 400 cooperation and exchange contracts for students and employees, for the development of their knowledge and qualifications. We continuously work to increase the cooperation with the private sector as well, to realize practice and employment of the best students, and also to adjust the study programmes to the needs of the economy and the business environment.
Our highest priority is quality and applicable knowledge for our students as future academic citizens, supplemented with practical work and improvement of the acquired skills for their smooth integration into social flows.
“Choose wisely, act boldly” is the new motto of UGD. It incorporates the personal choice and the courage to act toward a positive change, which will start from every individual person. We will continue to build UGD together with you as a place of competent and highly motivated students, fulfilled and valued professors and employees, and we will create a university that will maintain and improve the highest humane values that the civilized men stive for. It is our duty, together, to create future for our youth and to build a society in which they will live the story of their dreams.
Thank you,
Prof. Dejan Mirakovski, PhD,
Rector