Great and small anniversaries of university institutions are a worthy occasion for recalling the way passed. And the harder the way has been, the more important the dates are, ganing a greater value.

When we just recall of 2006, regardless of the optimism felt by me and my associates, and also by society expecting for each tomorrow to be visibly better than yesterday, we could not have predicted results worthy of admiration, as many say.

When we just recall of 2006, regardless of the optimism felt by me and my associates, and also by society expecting for each tomorrow to be visibly better than yesterday, we could not have predicted results worthy of admiration, as many say.

As the Rector, who had, has and will have permanent obligations to contribute by his work to university education development of the Republic of Serbia, I shall start and finish the introductory word for this book, claiming: life at the State University in Novi Pazar has gone a lot faster than legal regulation, classifying it into the line of the most organised European universities.

By the Decision of the Republic of Serbia Government of 26th October 2006, we were established as the first integrated State University in the Republic of Serbia and I was appointed to the duty of the Rector and Dr. Bozidar Stanic, a full professor of the Belgrade University, Chairman of the Interim Council

Thanks to the fact that the University is integrated, pursuant to its Establishment Act, we immediately decided to build its structure into the department model. Integrity and department structure of the State University have obliged us to a responsibility for development of the University, and not just to submit to the state the financial requests being made by ourselves, for resources to the Ministry of Education.

Speed and gaining European standards, as a result of the invested efforts of the University management, went towards:

• Conditions being fulfilled with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment for its accreditation and the University was accredited on 26th November 2007, for the performance of scientific-research activity in the area of scientific-mathematical, technology-technical, medical, social and mathematical sciences.
• Accreditation conditions as an institution for educational activity at all three levels of studies on 9th May.2008, and thus the State University in Novi Pazar gained the first accreditation from the Committee for Accreditation in the Republic of Serbia.

In the interest of quality, as our fundamental determination, we have established intensive cooperation with all state universities within the Republic of Serbia, and also with a large number of universities from other countries, for instance: France, Austria, Italy, England, Hungary, Turkey, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russia, Belorussia, Ukraine, Slovakia. In this way, a wide mobility is offered to students and professors.

Having in mind the fact that the development of modern society has changed the needs of students to the highest degree, both related to curriculum and educational methods, the SUNP has decided, from its very beginning, for a more interdisciplinary approach, using modern teaching methods. Having in mind the time of strict division, both in teaching and science, even divisions in the scientific fields, we devote great attention to social and other phenomena being attractive for several academic profiles, at the State University in Novi Pazar. Therefore, our Master's Academic Study Programs are:

• Management in Higher Education and
• Energy Efficiency in Building Construction.

These study program are unique, not only in the Republic of Serbia, but elsewhere, and their realization and organization have been supported by the World University Service (WUS) of Austria.

Through these study program, students are given the rounded units as courses, in which several professors of different expertise offer the newest and most interesting segments from the aspect of their expert profession.

There are professors from several European countries who are included in the teaching of these study programs.

A special challenge for the professors, since all these study programmes are interdisciplinary, is the fact that they meet with students from different faculties, with different previous knowledge and experience.

Approaching the development of the most modern programs and methods, which is the fundamental determination of the State University in Novi Pazar; students have been allowed to have flexible and open forms of studying, such as: seminars, mentorships, panel discussions, round-table discussions and debates.

One of the most urgent tasks of the State University in Novi Pazar is the creation of qualitative young people from our own resources, who show a sense for scientific-research work in teams, by participating into "scientific and expert conferences". By this choice of the best students for associates and assistants, the State University in Novi Pazar secures a safe and qualitative personnel structure, to broaden its way towards the society of the most qualitative universities worldwide.

Starting from the essential aim, to become a member of the modern European university space as soon as possible, the State University in Novi Pazar, within its defined mission, has approached, in this way, the realization of its essential aims, without expectation of legal regulation reform of university education in the Republic of Serbia, such as:

• Increase of quality and study efficiency
• Introduction of ECTs credits at all levels of studies, and mechanisms in valuation of the quality level of the entire outcome of the university process
• Permanent introduction of new inter-disciplinary studies suitable to new professions which are the results of modern technological development and market needs, and the involvement of students as partners, in the process of university education and permanent promotion of students' and professors' mobility.

It can be said that the State University in Novi Pazar (SUNP), to their greatest degree, has fulfilled the esta-blished aims from the very beginning: the SUNP has given a significant contribution to the democratic development of the Republic of Serbia, and especially to Novi Pazar and its broader surroundings, and to the economic development and promotion of values of European integrations.

During its five year existence, the State University in Novi Pazar has served its citizens, by adapting to the challenges of the time, and therefore it is recognisable as a real national brand.

Finally, the positive development of the State University in Novi Pazar, and it means: spacious, laboratory equipped, educational, scientific and inter-university cooperation and mobility of students and professors, has reached the standards of the European university space much faster than obliged by positive norms of legal regulation, related to the reform of university education in the Republic of Serbia.

It is expected that its students will give an enormous contribution to the cultural, scientific, educational, political and economic life, not only of the region, buton a broader scale.

In the year when we celebrate five years of its existence and work, the State University in Novi Pazar wants to present its group portrait (academic profile) by this monograph, i.e. to give an insight into its current study programs, organisational and personnel structure, and the many other spheres and facts of its activity.

Rector
Cemal Dolicanin, PhD