For over 50 years, the University of Belgrade - Faculty of Political Sciences (FPS) has been a leading institution of higher education and a modern and open school of democracy and democratic political culture. The Faculty focuses on education and research in the field of social work and social policy, gender studies, political science, international relations, journalism, and communication studies. Today, the Faculty is a well-known teaching and research center that participates in short and long-term projects with leading regional and international academic institutions. It also publishes various materials in the area of expertise of its academic staff. The Faculty offers undergraduate MA and PhD programs and advanced professional development programs. Research at the FPS is carried out through large collaborative long-term research projects funded by the Ministry of Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia, other collaborative research projects and consulting work, and individual research.
University of Belgrade – Faculty of Political Sciences is a partner in Erasmus+ KA220-VET - Cooperation partnerships in vocational education and training project from December 2022. Learning and Innovation Labs project, led by Research and development centre Linkoping from Sweden, brings together partners (universities and departments for social work) from Spain, Norway, Latvia, Slovenia, Serbia and the European Social Network from Belgium. The overall aim of this project is to develop and test a new 'Learning and Innovation Lab' model and approach to developing new, more holistic and person centered approaches to the delivery of services to a range of vulnerable users of health and social care services and to the development of the new competencies and skill sets required by stakeholders and front line professional staff to implement innovation. A core feature of the project is that it will create new tools and products which will enable staff/stakeholders both to address systemic and organizational barriers to change and innovation and to develop and implement new more collaborative working methods with vulnerable client groups. In addition to the Lab model, the key products will include a dedicated transnational Learning & Knowledge Platform and an online/blended Learning to Innovate Competency Framework and Learning Programme with supporting learning materials. Lab methodology involves set of actors and stakeholders (including target group) that together explore and experiment with matters of importance outside of existing hierarchical and organizational structures. Innovations are anchored in shared realities, needs and possibilities of the involved families, social service providers and other key stakeholders. This implies active and meaningful participation, acknowledge and respect of skills, competencies, needs and difficulties each actor brings into the collaboration in change process to go from challenges to solution.
Within this project, the Faculty of Political Sciences is developing a Learning and Innovation Lab to support the early development of children from vulnerable Roma communities with partners in the municipality of Zemun, given that there is a well-established multidisciplinary early development support team. Starting from June 2023, a partnership was established with Municipality Zemun, UNICEF office in Serbia, City Secretariat for Social Welfare, Preschool institution from Zemun, Health care centre in Zemun (including development centre, pediatric and home visiting nurses service), Center for Social Work Zemun and City Center for Social work Belgrade, and with several NGOs (Center for Youth Integration - CIM, The Belgrade Psychological Center, SOS Children Village Serbia and Roma Women Center Bibia). As a result of baseline study, stakeholder mapping activity, consultation with target group and extensive consultation with relevant stakeholders and partners, Lab named “Zemunsko čavororo” (Zemun tad) was established; objectives and scope of activities are agreed and outlined.