General Information


MISSION

The Department of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies is a dynamic, interdisciplinary and extroversive Department, aiming to “promote knowledge on languages, history and culture of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental countries, and its mission is to study and develop economic, social and political relations between these countries and Greece” (Presidential Decree 363/1996, Article 1). The curriculum, as an area study program, focuses  on the study of state, law and institutions, society, politics and economics, history, culture and languages of the examined areas. The selection of the main languages (Russian, Turkish, Bulgarian, Romanian, Serbian) also defines the selection of one out of three major area fileds: Balkan, Slavic, Oriental studies.

The Department, in the context of Area Studies specialization, provides two independent Postgraduate Study MA Programs: 1. “Economics and Politics in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe”, 2. “History, Anthropology and Culture in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe”, and one Interdepartmental Postgraduate Program, “Human Rights and Migration Studies ”. In addition, a PhD Study Program is also provided on relevant scientificfields, offered by the Department of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies.

OBJECTIVES

Interdisciplinarity, the undergraduate specialization as well as the opportunity of learning a foreign language from the areas of Eastern and South-eastern Europe and Eastern Mediterranean are all strong competitive advantages of our Department’s graduates in relation to both the labour market and the continuation of their studies at a postgraduate level in Greece or abroad. Subjects such as History, Law and International Relations, Social Anthropology, Economics, Political Science and Cultural Studies, as well as the teaching of optional languages (Arabic, Albanian, Hebrew, Armenian), in addition to the main languages (Russian, Turkish, Bulgarian, Romanian, Serbian, within the introductory core program of the first year of studies, as wellas  free elective courses for the following 3 years, lead to the formation of the indicative following specializations:  (i) Economics and International Business  (ii) Political, Social and Cultural Studies.

Four Research Laboratories operate within the Department (“Laboratory of Entrepreneurship”, “Laboratory for the Study of Culture, Borders and Gender”, Laboratory of the History of Eastern and SE Europe”, Laboratory of International Politics and Legal Studies (POLIS)), that coordinate the research activity, generated by Research and Teaching Staff members, Post-Doc students, PhD Candidates, Postgraduate Students and External attached Researchers.  The research laboratories undertake the implementation of research seminars and programs, as well as the provision of practices and partnerships with the local collectivities and state holders of the relevant areas. The seminars which are organized for all three study cycles aim at furthering students’ training by providing soft skills, as technicalexpertising, practical training and good practices.

Knowledge and Skills

The knowledge and skills acquired by the Department’s graduates are summarized below:

  • Basic Knowledge of law and political science, history, social anthropology,  and economics.
  • Good knowledge of the selected foreign language. Students upon their registration in the Department are placed in the courses of one of the basic languages, i.e. Bulgarian, Romanian, Russian, ian and Turkish. This procedure takes place in the first semester of studies, and the process is as follows: Students are asked to choose, in order of preference, one out of the five (5) foreign languages offered, and they are placed in the respective language program, based on their order of admission in the Department per admission category and their order of preference.
  • Knowledge of history, social organization, cultural values, political systems, modern economic and social changes and transformation of the Balkan countries as well as the countries of Eastern Europe and Middle East (e.g. political regimes and economic systems, migration, mobility, refugee flows).
  • Methodology and training to trainers acquisition on cultural, religious and gender-based differences, minority treaties, cross-border situations, intercultural encounters and human rights in Europe and the international environment.
  • Ability to work in an international environment, awareness on problems of intercultural communication, adaptability to foreign working conditions, and specialized skills for the employment in refugee hosting facilities etc.
  • Critical Knowledge,scientific documentation  and terminology on subjects related to the analysis of modern economic, social and political situation of Balkan countries and countries situated in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, as well as in the international environment.
  • Specialised economic, banking and financial knowledge for business and investment in the Balkans, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

 CAREER PROSPECTS

The Curriculum of the Department of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies offers to the graduates the opportunity to be employed by the Public and Private sector, International Organisations, Cooperative Enterprises and Non-Governmental Organizations in Greece and abroad. Particularly: 

  • In State-owned Companies, Ministries, Administration and Services as executives, consultants and experts for economic, social and cultural- related matters, just like all graduates of economic, social and political science schools or other schools focusing on area studies (University- level education in Economics/ Administration, see Government Gazette 39/1, 5.3.2001).
  • In private-owned businesses and banks expanding their business or investment activities in the Balkans, Eastern Europe and the Middle East (e.g. Black Sea Trade and Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development or other private banks). 
  • In the Diplomatic Corps as cultural/ economic attachés and experts (after successful examination in courses offered in the Study Program and special language skills).
  • In International Development Institutions and Humanitarian Aid Organisations for Refugees and Migrants,
  • In Non-Governmental Organizations dealing with humanitarian aid facilities and vulnerable groups of population in crisis and post-conflict environments (e.g. Women, children, socially excluded, minorities, refugees).
  • In Social Cooperative Enterprises (Law 4430/2016) for the benefit of the community and the public, which are active in “sustainable development” or in “general social services”, and which include economic activities, commercial or exchange practices, such as environmental sustainability, social and economic equality, gender equality, common goods, intergenerational and multicultural reconciliation, with an emphasis on the particularities of local communities in the Balkans, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
  • In Research Institutions in Greece and abroad, active in the Balkans, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
  • In research programs for basic research and traning to trainers  aiming to an acquisition of skills and good practices, as experts of the language, culture, political economy and history of the Balkans, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
  • In private education for teaching the foreign language of their specialization.
  • In public and private organizations for the management of cultural heritage and the promotion of cultural products (e.g. Museums, Cultural Organizations of Municipalities and Prefectures, public and private record services and libraries), in Greece, the Balkan countries and the countries of the European Union.

 

  • Βεβαίωση Καθορισμού Κλάδων Αποφοίτων ΒΣΑΣ
    Βεβαίωση Καθορισμού Κλάδων των αποφοίτων του Τμήματος ΒΣΑΣ του Πανεπιστημίου Μακεδονίας και του Τμήματος Βαλκανικών Σπουδών του Πανεπιστημίου Δυτικής Μακεδονίας (μετά τη συγχώνευση βάσει του ΠΔ 88/2013), όπου αναφέρονται τα εξής: "Τα πτυχία των Τμημάτων: α) Βαλκανικών, Σλαβικών και Ανατολικών Σπουδών του Πανεπιστημίου Μακεδονίας... & β) Βαλκανικών Σπουδών του Πανεπιστημίου Δυτικής Μακεδονίας... αποτελούν επαρκές προσόν διορισμού μονίμου ή με σχέση εργασίας ιδιωτικού δικαίου αορίστου χρόνου προσωπικού σε θέσεις δημοσίων υπηρεσιών, νομικών προσώπων δημοσίου δικαίου του κλάτου ΠΕ Διοικητικού και / ή Οικονομικού."
  • ΠΔ 347/2003 Τροποποίηση διατάξεων ΠΔ 50/2001
    Στην παρ. 2 του Άρθρου μόνο του ΠΔ 347/2003 αναφέρεται: "2. (α) Η παράγραφος 1 του άρθρου 4 αντικαθίσταται ως εξής: 1. Προσόν διορισμού στον εισαγωγικό βαθμό ορίζεται πτυχίο ή δίπλωμα οποιουδήποτε Τμήματος ΑΕΙ της ημεδαπής, περιλαμβανομένων και των πτυχίων ή διπλωμάτων του Ελληνικού Ανοικτού Παντεπιστημίου (ΕΑΠ) και των Προγραμμάτων Σπουδών Επιλογής (ΠΣΕ), ή ισότιμων σχολών της αλλοδαπής."
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