New Partner in Macedonia

            Ohrid, Macedonia and Tucson, Arizona (December 15, 2015) – A five-year Memorandum of Agreement was signed last month between the University of Arizona in Tucson and the University of Information and Science Technology, St. Paul the Apostle, in Ohrid, Macedonia, outlining a series of steps both institutions will undertake to increase their collaboration in research and education.

            The agreement, signed by University of Arizona President Ann Weaver Hart and University of Information Science and Technology Rector Ninoslav Marina, addresses exchanges of faculty and scholars and/or graduate students for short-term research and training purposes (or longer term) as funding permits, as well as the design of collaborative research projects including the development of formal proposals for research funding, among other things.    

            The idea for this collaboration came from the office of the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, shortly after his visit to Tucson in 2013, and was facilitated through Macedonia’s Honorary Consul to Arizona, Jason Miko, a native Arizonan and 1988 graduate of the University of Arizona.

            “We are pleased to open this phase of collaboration with Macedonia and the University of Information and Science Technology. We look forward to establishing close relationships between faculty and scholars to help create solutions to shared problems,” stated Mike Proctor, Vice President for Global Initiatives at the University of Arizona.

            “Macedonia is 25-years-old as a modern-day nation-state but we are rapidly progressing in the fields of information technology and communications,” declared Ninoslav Marina, Rector of the University of Information Science and Technology.  “This agreement with the University of Arizona will allow us to continue that progression and we too look forward to hosting University of Arizona faculty and scholars at the enchanting Lake Ohrid and our university in Macedonia,” Ninoslav stated.

About the Universities

            University of Arizona – Established in 1885, the University of Arizona, the state’s super land-grant university with two medical schools, produces graduates who are real-world ready through its 100% Student Engagement initiative. Recognized as a global leader and ranked 16th for the employability of its graduates, the UA is also a leader in research, bringing more than $580 million in research investment each year, and ranking 19th among all public universities. The UA is advancing the frontiers of interdisciplinary scholarship and entrepreneurial partnerships, and is a member of the Association of American Universities, the 62 leading public and private research universities. It benefits the state with an estimated economic impact of $8.3 billion annually.  For more information, please visit http://www.arizona.edu/

            University of Information and Science Technology – Founded in 2009, the University of Information Science and Technology (UIST) “St. Paul the Apostle”, is a higher education state institution located in Ohrid, Macedonia. With English as the official language of instruction, UIST is committed to providing excellence in education and research in the field of information sciences and technology. With a rich cultural location at Macedonia’s Lake Ohrid, one of the oldest and deepest lakes in Europe, UIST boasts professors and students from over 50 countries.  For more information, please visit http://uist.edu.mk/