Western Serbia Academy of Applied Studies
Western Serbia Academy of Applied Studies (WSAAS) is a higher education institution established in 2019 by merging two large independent higher education institutions, both with the over 40 years long tradition in education - the College of Applied Sciences Užice and Valjevo Business School of Applied Studies. It also has the status of a publically recognized organizer of adult education activities.
The College of Applied Sciences Užice (now Užice Branch of WSAAS) is a public HE institution, established in 1975 in the City of Užice, Serbia. About 1,000 students [WU1] are enrolled in accredited study programmes in the three fields of science: engineering and technology, social sciences and humanities, and medicine and health sciences.
The College offers:
- 7 undergraduate study programmes lasting 3 years and granting 180 ECTS upon the completion. They are: Tourism, Mechanical Engineering, Interior Architecture, Information Technology and Systems, Healthcare, Management, and Accounting and Audit,
- 5 master’s degree study programmes (two more years completed and a total of 300 ECTS credits earned): Business Economics and Management with 3 modules - Auditing and Accounting, Management and Tourism; Occupational Safety and Health; Information Technology and Systems, Interior Architecture, and Civil Engineering.
Užice Branch staff includes about 23 professors with a doctoral degree, 9 lecturers with a master’s degree and over 15 teaching associates with profound scientific, professional and practical knowledge. As for non-teaching staff, there are 19 employees.
Užice Branch occupies an area of around 4,000 m2, and offers lecture halls, IT classrooms, laboratories and a library, each of them fully equipped to ensure a quality learning environment.
Western Serbia Academy of Applied Studies has become the leading higher education institution in the region. It is internationally oriented and provides a vibrant and stimulating learning environment that prepares students for the rapidly changing global workplace.
The Academy offers affordable programs, small class sizes and hands-on training. Students benefit from the academic staff’s knowledge gained through their engagement in education, research, business and professional practice. The teaching staff of WSAAS consists of experts in the spheres of their profession, authors of numerous publications, renowned and respected both in Serbia and abroad.
With regard to the potential for tourism development, Zlatibor District in which the Academy is located, abounds in picturesque and beautiful villages, and therefore offers favourable conditions for the development of tourism and rural tourism.
In addition to good traffic connections, the villages are properly equipped to accommodate guests. The preserved natural environment, healthy food and potable water, the way of life in which traditional values are preserved, make Zlatibor villages authentic and attractive to visitors.
There are also possibilities for hiking, recreation, organizing trips. Hunting and fishing, riding, hiking, forest fruit picking, medicinal herbs harvesting and other outdoor recreational and entertainment activities are also part of the tourist offer. Tourists can participate in the work of an ordinary rural household, including work in the field.
In almost every village, there is a cultural or historical site that can be visited to learn about the past. The traditional architecture buildings, as well as products of old crafts and handicrafts, are invaluable. Exhibitions and permanent exhibitions of local artists, folklore and folk creations provide additional opportunities for learning about the tradition, folk culture and customs.