Petnica to become leading extracurricular education center in Europe - EUR 14.6 million for construction and equipping of science center near Valjevo

Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Bozidar Djelic said Wednesday that the Serbian government set aside €7.3 million for the construction of a brand new Petnica Science Center, €5.1 million for infrastructure, and €2.2 million for its equipping, it was announced on the government's website.

Djelic, who together with Minister of Education and Science Zarko Obradovic and Mayor of Valjevo Zoran Jakovljevic visited this science center to see the works on its construction, upgrading and reconstruction, said that, once completed, it would become the leading extracurricular education center in Europe.

Djelic called on donors, companies and former students of Petnica to become friends of the science center and help it cover its operating costs.

As Djelic explained, owing to investments, Petnica will have a new laboratory, a new accommodation facility instead of the current prefabricated one, a renovated library, kitchen, classrooms and halls with modern equipment as of spring, when the works should be completed.

This will increase the center’s capacity by 50% and enable introduction of completely new programmes.

Djelic recalled that that project was part of a great investment cycle in science and technology infrastructure of our country, worth €400 million.

In his opinion, this investment will also be a strong asset for Valjevo, which will be able to promote educational tourism.

Obradovic voiced the hope that new young researchers would be discovered in Petnica since Serbia needed them for the future times, and noted that that investment would benefit Serbia’s education system and science, as well as the town of Valjevo.

Principal of Petnica Science Center Vigor Majic said that the demanding reconstruction works were going as planned and that they did not interfere with the holding of courses for secondary school students.

The works on Petnica are being financed through a financial arrangement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the science and technology infrastructure development, worth €200 million.

After visiting the construction site, Djelic, Obradovic and Jakovljevic met with this year's attendees of the Petnica summer seminars.

Istraživačka stanica Petnica

Grad Valjevo

Vlada Republike Srbije

Ministarstvo prosvete Republike Srbije

EIB

Petnica Science Center

Petnica

Valjevo

Serbian government

Bozidar Djelic

Zarko Obradovic

Zoran Jakovljevic

Vigor Majic

EIB

European Investment Bank

Ministry of Education