Foundation and development

The University of Belgrade celebrates its anniversary every February 27th in memory of the day fully ninety years ago, back in 1905, when the law was passed that gave this institution its legal foundation.

However, the origin of higher education in this region can be traced back to the beginning of the 19th century, in 1808, when the Superior School was first founded in Serbia providing three-year studies for the needs of rebellious Serbia, through the Lycée founded in 1838 in Kragujevac, its move to Belgrade in 1841 and growth into the Great School in 1863, passage of the decision to found a university in 1898, to the formal opening of the University of Belgrade in 1905.

The University began its institutional life with three faculties: Philosophy, Law, and Engineering, with a TEACHING STAFF that included a small number of assistant professors, 16 full professors and 18 associate professors, and a first class of 788 students. The University with its three faculties was located in a building that Mi{a Anastasijevi}, one of the richest men in Serbia at that time, had donated to "his fatherland". Today this building, the Captain Mi{a Building, is still the location of the University of Belgrade rector's office.

Captain Mi{a Anastasijevi}

The history of the University is a component part of the political history of Serbia.

Wars, social unrest, political and economic reverses, requisite postwar renovations of destroyed material potentials and missing staff members, left a deep trace in the composition and spirit of this institution. It came out of the wars impoverished and scarred, and during peacetime it prospered and flourished, healing its wounds along the way.

In 1941, Belgrade University had grown to seven faculties, 519 teachers and 9,700 students, with a University library whose holdings included around 300,000 books; there were 72 student associations and three student dormitories.

The Second World War put a stop to this development.

During the four years of the Occupation, the University was closed. A large number of students and teachers either lost their lives or were taken captive. The Hall of Heroes at the Faculty of Philology immortalizes the countenances of 127 University students - National Heroes who gave their lives in unequal battle. Buildings were demolished and equipment was destroyed.

The University began its new life in 1945, and since then has continued to grow and branch out. Five new universities have emanated from it: the University of Novi Sad - 1960, the University of Ni{ - 1965, the University of Pri{tina - 1970, the University of Titograd (present-day Podgorica) - 1974, and the University of Kragujevac - 1976.

It should be noted that since 1973, a number of important scientific institutes have become part of the University; their equipment and personnel increase the total potentials of this institution.

Today the University of Belgrade is comprised of a network of 30 faculties, 8 institutes and a library. It educates 59,000 students in 148 undergraduate programs, 1,712 postgraduate students in master's programs and a considerable number of students in specialized studies.

Its teaching and research are carried out by 1,669 professors, 759 assistant professors, 1,036 assistants, and 658 junior assistants. More then 3,000 administrators and other associates take part in the University activities.

Since its foundation, the University of Belgrade has graduated approximately 260,000 students in a variety of fields, bestowed around 14,000 master's degrees and 8,500 Ph.D. degrees.

Honorary doctorates of the University of Belgrade have been conferred on 64 meritorious individuals, including 48 domestic and 16 foreign.

Since the University was founded in 1905, the position of Rector has been held by the following:

SIMA LOZANI],
Professor of chemistry and chemical engineering at the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade;
Rector of the University in the 1905/1906 academic year.

JOVAN CVIJI],
Professor of physical geography at the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade;
Rector of the University in the 1906/1907 and 1919/1920 academic years.

ANDRA J. STEVANOVI],
Professor of civil engineering structures at the Faculty of Engineering in Belgrade;
Rector of the University in the 1907/1908 academic year.

SAVA URO[EVI],
Professor of mineralogy and petrography;
Rector of the University in the 1908/1909 and 1909/1910 academic years.

BOGDAN GAVRILOVI],
Professor of mathematics at the Faculty of Enginneering in Belgrade;
Rector of the University in the 1910/1911 - 1912/1913 and 1921/1922 - 1923/1924 academic years.

SLOBODAN JOVANOVI],
Professor of public law at the Faculty of Law in Belgrade;
Rector of the University in the 1913/1914 and 1920/1921 academic years.

\OR\E STANOJEVI],
Professor of physics at the Faculty of Philosophy;
Rector of the University in the 1913/1914 - 1918/1919 academic years.

PAVLE POPOVI],
Professor of history of Yugoslav literature at the Faculty of Philosophy;
Rector of the University in the 1924/1925 and 1926/1927 academic years.

^EDOMIR MITROVI],
Professor of church law and marriage law at the Faculty of Law;
Rector of the University in the 1927/1928 and 1929/1930 academic years.

VLADIMIR P. MITROVI],
Professor of applied hydraulics at the Faculty of Engineering;
Rector of the University in the 1930/1931 and 1931/1932 academic years.

VLADIMIR K. PETKOVI],
Professor of geology at the Faculty of Philosophy;
Rector of the University in the 1932/1933 academic year.

ALEKSANDAR BELI],
Professor of Slavic philology and general linguistics at the Faculty of Philosophy;
Rector of the University in the 1933/1934 academic year.

IVAN DJAJA,
Professor of physiology, physiological chemistry and general physiology at the Faculty of Philosophy;
Rector of the University in the 1934/1935 academic year.

VLADIMIR ]OROVI],
Professor of national history at the Faculty of Philosophy;
Rector of the University in the 1934/1935 and 1935/1936 academic years.

DRAGOSLAV B. JOVANOVI],
Professor of governmental law at the Faculty of Law;
Rector of the University in the 1936/1937 and 1938/1939 academic years.

PETAR MICI],
Professor of iron structures, iron bridges and iron constructions at the Faculty of Engineering;
Rector of the University in the 1939/1940 and 1941/1942 academic years.

NIKOLA POPOVI],
Professor of history, philosophy, general psychology and logic at the Faculty of Philosophy;
Rector of the University in the 1942/1943 and 1943/1944 academic years.

STEVAN JAKOVLJEVI],
Professor of botany at the Faculty of Philosophy;
Rector of the University in the 1945/1946 - 1949/1950 academic years.

ILIJA \URI^I],
Professor of physiology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine;
Rector of the University in the 1950/1951, 1951/1952, and 1954/1955 academic years.

VUKI] MI]OVI],
Professor of chemistry at the Faculty of Science and Mathematics;
Rector of the University in the 1952/1953, and 1953/1954 academic years.

BORISLAV T. BLAGOJEVI],
Professor of civil law at the Faculty of Law;
Rector of the University in the 1955/1956 - 1962/1963 academic year.

BO@IDAR S. \OR\EVI],
Professor of internal medicine at the Faculty of Medicine;
Rector of the University in the 1963//1964 - 1966/1967 academic year.

DRAGI[A IVANOVI],
Professor of general physics, nuclear reactor theory and quantum mechanics at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering;
Rector of the University in the 1967/1968 - 1970/1971academic years.

JOVAN GLIGORIJEVI],
Professor of veterinary radiology and physical therapy at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine;
Rector of the University in the 1971/1972 - 1974/1975 academic year.

DRAGOSLAV JANKOVI],
Professor of the history of the state and law at the Faculty of Law;
Rector of the University in the 1975/1976 and 1976/1977 academic years.

MIROSLAV PE^UJLI],
Professor of sociology and the methodology of social sciences at the Faculty of Law;
Rector of the University in the 1977/1978 - 1980/1981 academic year.

VOJISLAV M. PETROVI],
Professor of comparative physiology and endocrinology at the Faculty of Science and Mathematics;
Rector of the University in the 1981/1982 - 1984/1985 academic year.

ZORAN PJANI],
Professor of political economy and price theory and policy at the Faculty of Economics;
Rector of the University in the 1985/1986 and 1986/1987 academic years.

SLOBODAN UNKOVI],
Professor of the economIcs of tourism at the Faculty of Economics;
Rector of the University in the 1987/1988 - 1990/1991 academic years.

RAJKO VRA^AR,
Professor of non-ferrous metallurgy at the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy;
Rector of the University in the 1991/1992 and 1992/1993 academic years.

DRAGUTIN VELI^KOVI],
Professor of biochemistry at the Faculty of Agriculture;
Elected Rector of the University in the 1993/1994 academic year; present Rector of the University of Belgrade.