COOPERATION WITH US UNIVERSITIES - A TOP PRIORITY!

INTERVIEW WITH DR. NIKOLA JANKULOVSKI
Rector of Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje

· Mr. Jankulovski, according to MAAA statute, being a Rector of Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, you are one of the patrons of our organization. MAAA’s main office has also been at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University for the last two decades. Could you please tell us how important this is for the functioning of the university, especially for its international cooperation?

We consider the cooperation with MAAA exceptionally significant for bringing the two peoples together, for building trust and cooperation. The cooperation with the American universities is a top priority for UKIM. The US universities and their proven quality of education have always been a challenge and the most desired destination for our best students and professors. The alumni association and the cooperation they have established adds to the overall process of university’s internationalization to a great extent.

· Mr. Rector, how important is it for the members of the academic community to take part in the exchange programs of the American Embassy and the State Department?

Taking part in the US Embassy and State Department’s programs certainly means quality, and improvement of the quality of teaching and research because the international cooperation is on the top of the list of priorities of Ss. Cyril and Methodius University. Taking into consideration the role, connection, and interdependence of the international academic communities as well as the need for creating and developing scientific, technological and educational innovations, the international cooperation at the university has increasingly focused on greater participation in regional programs especially with the partners from the USA. Education and scientific research have an exceptionally vital role in overcoming the challenges of the modern knowledge-based society and globalization. They are the key factors for sustainable development, peace and stability within and between the countries.

· Could you please tell us which strategies the university employs to encourage cooperation with US universities?

Nowadays, there are a number of options available to our students and professors for cooperation with the US universities through educational exchange programs which are open for our academic community, such as the Fulbright program, which is one of the oldest in the Republic of Macedonia, IREX, Hubert Humphrey and many other options and financial sources. And it all comes down to genuine information, quality application, motivation, dedication and a great effort invested.

· How much is, in your opinion, the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University open for cooperation with the US universities’ academic community?

It is essential that we collaborate on establishing quality cooperation in terms of better information dissemination about the options and conditions of exchange. I would like to take this opportunity to accentuate our interest, openness and desire to host US professors and students at our university. Our cooperation started in 1960s with the signing of the first cooperation agreements with the universities in Chico, California and Tempi, Arizona, and it has grown and developed ever since at our mutual pleasure and interest. But this is just part of the cooperation we have established with the US universities. UKIM faculties and individuals maintain even better cooperation with:
Arizona State University, Tempi, Arizona
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
University of Oklahoma
University of Vermont, Burlington
University of Toledo
Indiana University, Bloomington
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Ohio State University, Columbus
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston Massachusetts
James Madison College at Michigan State University
George Mason University, in Fairfax, Virginia
University of Memphis, Tennessee
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
University of Michigan, Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies
Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan



Interviewed by Zorica Trajkova