U.S. Embassy Belgrade - University Partnership Program

Overview

The university partnership proposal should support the U.S. Embassy’s overall objectives in Serbia. Broadly speaking, we are trying to assist the Serbian people to: strengthen democracy, rule of law, and the protection of human rights; help fight brain drain and advance the country’s further economic development; promote regional stability and cooperation; cooperate with international partners to combat crime, terrorism, human trafficking, and other global challenges; and make further progress towards Serbia’s accession into the European Union.  We also strive to explain U.S. policies, culture, society, and values to Serbian audiences and deepen ties between our two countries and our two peoples.

A university partnership between Serbian and U.S. institutions of higher learning could involve in-person and/or virtual exchanges involving students, faculty, and/or administrators.

It could also include one or more of the following activities: curriculum development; needs assessments; joint online courses; joint research projects; development of a joint degree program; development of a study abroad program; sharing of best teaching practices and instructional methods; support for participation in academic conferences or student competitions (e.g., moot court, Model U.S. Congress, Model United Nations); establishing an American Studies course or academic program; setting up a center focused on American Studies; and/or establishing or strengthening a career development center.

The main goal(s) of an academic exchange could be to provide Serbian students and their professors:

• American academic perspectives on shared areas of interest and lessons learned from the American experience in the focus subject(s);
• Insights into current research and academic debates in the U.S. on the focus subject(s);
• The chance to engage in discussions and debate with their American counterparts; and/or
• The opportunity to experience and assess teaching methodologies used in American university classrooms.

University partnership proposals should be crafted with a S.M.A.R.T. logic model.  The objective of your activity should be: Specific, Measurable, realistically Achievable within the period of the grant, Relevant to an actual problem or challenge, and Time-based, meaning that you will be able to finish the project and measure the impact by a set date.

Information Session.  PDS will hold a virtual information session on February 7, 2023, at 16:00 (4 pm) Central European time to discuss this funding opportunity and to answer questions from potential applicants.  Please contact PDS at [email protected] for details.  

• Length of performance period: 6 to 30 months (including the evaluation)
• Anticipated program start date:  Flexible, but no earlier than September 1, 2023.