19th century The predecessor to the University of Belgrade was established in 1808 as the
Belgrade Higher School (; a
Grandes écoles) by
Dositej Obradović, a key Serbian figure in the
Age of Enlightenment. It was the highest ranking educational institution in
Serbia between 1808 and 1905, as the first Higher School (1808–1813), the
Belgrade Lyceum ( / Beogradski Licej; 1838–1863), and the second Higher School (1863–1905). It was initially located at the
Princess Ljubica's Residence building and then moved to another significant site in Belgrade, the
Captain Miša’s Mansion, which today serves as the university's seat. The second Higher School (also known as the
Great School or
Great Academy of Belgrade) was established as the successor of the Lyceum and merged into the University of Belgrade. The Higher School formally became the University of Belgrade through the Law on the University from February 27, 1905. This law introduced faculties of social science and humanities (including a Faculty of
Orthodox Theology and Law), medical sciences, sciences and mathematics, along with technology and engineering. In the early 19th century, the studies of law lasted three years and the curriculum included comparative and state (constitutional) law, international law, criminal law, and judicial procedure, as well as general subjects. This is how the modern legal education in Serbia emerged in the year 1808. Before enrolling in the legal department, it was compulsory to graduate from the philosophy department, where the studies lasted two years, so the legal studies lasted a total of five years. Since 1853, legal education has become independent from the studies of philosophy, and since 1863, legal education in Serbia has lasted four years. The lectures were held by professors who had earned their diplomas in
Austria,
Germany and
France (
Jovan Sterija Popović,
Josif Pančić,
Đura Daničić, and others). During the 1850s, the Philosophy (General) Department developed into a particular college. The University of Belgrade's
Faculty of Philosophy is today's continuation of this department. The first academic lecture on
electrical engineering in
Serbia was held in 1894. Professor Stevan Marković was the first lecturer and founder of the Engineering Department at the Higher School. Only four years later, Professor Marković also established the first Serbian electrical engineering laboratory. Since then, this academic discipline has been studied at the Higher School and the University of Belgrade. The first diplomas in this field were given in 1922. , founder of the university
20th century The University of Belgrade witnessed a massive growth and expansion in the years before the
Second World War and especially after the founding of the
second Yugoslavia. The first woman graduated from the University of Belgrade's
Law School in 1914. In the 1960s and 70s, the university developed into a remarkable regional and international educational institution. Many students from other countries were trained there. Up to 40,000 students from
Africa alone studied at the University of Belgrade during the existence of the SFR Yugoslavia. In the socialist Yugoslavia, the university was expanded, but it was also exposed to state and ideological influence. It has also been the driving force for the establishment of almost all other universities in today's
Serbia,
Montenegro,
North Macedonia and several universities in
Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the mid-1990s, the University of Belgrade became an internationally recognized center of the political opposition in Serbia. Massive anti-government protests were staged by the Belgrade students and professors. The university's student organizations (especially "
Otpor!") significantly contributed to overthrowing the government.
21st century The university has become a signatory of the
Bologna declaration. Being one of Europe's largest universities with an enrollment of nearly 90,000 students, the university broadly cooperates with international academic institutions and is involved in countless bilateral and multilateral academic projects. ==Campus==