History
The State University of Novi Pazar is among the youngest higher education institutions in Serbia. It was established by a Decision of the Government of the Republic of Serbia on 26 October 2006. Prof. Dr Ćemal Dolicanin was appointed Acting Rector. A Provisional Council was also appointed, comprising: Prof. Dr Božidar Stanić (University of Belgrade), Prof. Dr Miladin Kostić (University of Priština), Prof. Dr Stevan Šogorov (University of Novi Sad), Prof. Dr Igor Milovanović (University of Niš) and Prof. Dr Vuk Milatović (University of Belgrade).
This step by the Government aimed to contribute to a more balanced and accelerated regional development of the Republic of Serbia, to improve the educational profile of young people, and to help address accumulated problems hindering the development of this region. Three faculties began operating within the University: Philosophy, Law and Economics, and Technical and Technological Sciences.
Shortly thereafter, the State University of Novi Pazar transitioned to a departmental model, replacing faculties with departments. This means the university holds legal entity status, while the departments — covering law, economics, philosophy, philology, natural and mathematical sciences, biomedical sciences, technical and technological sciences, and multidisciplinary sciences — do not. This integrated organisational structure has enabled rapid institutional development.
Students at the State University of Novi Pazar study law, economics, psychology, pre-school education, mathematics, informatics, English and Serbian language, physical education, architecture, civil engineering, electrical engineering and computing, agronomy, food technology, biology, chemistry, physiotherapy and nursing.
In April 2008, the State University of Novi Pazar was among the first state universities in Serbia to be accredited for undergraduate, master's and doctoral academic study programmes. Subsequent accreditations followed in 2013 and 2018, and teaching is currently delivered across more than 30 study programmes.
The institution cooperates with numerous universities, institutes, colleges and other scientific research organisations both domestically and internationally — including partners in Austria, Slovakia, Italy, France, Turkey, Belarus and Russia.
The State University has two buildings totalling 16,000 m², modern lecture halls and laboratories, 17 specialised labs with up-to-date equipment, a library with a reading room and a sports hall. The majority of students are funded by the Republic of Serbia budget, while tuition fees for self-financing students are among the lowest in the country.
Rectors of the State University of Novi Pazar
Prof. Dr Ćemal Dolicanin (2006–2012)
Prof. Dr Miladin Kostić (2012–2021)
Prof. Dr Bratislav Mirić (2021–2022)
Prof. Dr Dragoslav Šumarac, Acting Rector (2022)
Prof. Dr Zana Dolicanin (2022–2025)
Prof. Dr Tanja Soldatović (2026–present)
