The Montenegro Story

In 2004, George Mason University was awarded a grant from the U.S Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs to assist the University of Montenegro (UoM) in its transition toward membership in the European Union.

The four goals of the grant were to

1. Redesign and restructure the administrative, financial, and international relations system at the university
2. Assist with knowledge building, design, and implementation of the European Credit Transfer System at UoM
3. Develop a one-course model with a distance learning component from a selected curriculum
4. Explore new study programs, academic degrees, and joint study programs with other universities

These steps followed the university’s new Law on Higher Education, adopted by parliament in 2003 and the signing of the Bologna Declaration, both required to open possibilities for transformation and integration into the European Higher Education System.

During the 3 years, there were 7 exchanges of administrators, faculty, staff, and students to experience the culture of the universities and countries as well as to address and complete the goals of the grant.