Montenegro's EU Path and Higher Education Reality

Montenegro, the Western Balkans front-runner for European Union membership, aims to join the bloc by 2028. It has already embedded its higher education system in European frameworks, joining the Bologna Process in 2007 and participating in Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe, the EU's flagship research programme. Gordana Djurovic, an economics professor at the University of Montenegro and former minister for European integration, says full membership will deepen those links, especially through student and researcher mobility.

However, the country's only public university—the University of Montenegro—and its private institutions face persistent gaps that blunt the benefits of integration. Djurovic notes that while Montenegrin researchers are eager to lead Horizon Europe projects, they rarely have the administrative muscle to do so. “There are lots of opportunities, but sometimes we’re not in the position to use these opportunities because of the lack of our overall capacities,” she said. No dedicated grants office exists to support applications, project management or finances, leaving academics to juggle paperwork on their own and depressing success rates.

Florian Bieber, director of the Centre for Southeast European Studies at the University of Graz, warns that EU membership could also intensify competitive pressures. Many Montenegrin students already choose to study in Serbia, particularly at the University of Belgrade, attracted by a larger academic environment and shared language. With full membership, students could become even more willing to pursue degrees elsewhere in Europe, forcing domestic universities to internationalise—or risk losing their best talent.

Why EU Funding Remains Out of Reach

The Research Capacity Deficit at the University of Montenegro

Montenegro’s flagship institution operates without a professional research support infrastructure. While Horizon Europe rewards strong consortia, Djurovic explains that her colleagues can rarely act as lead institutions and must instead settle for junior roles in projects led by foreign partners. This is not a matter of intellectual merit but of administratively thin operations: no specialist staff to write grant applications, manage budgets or handle compliance. The result is a low conversion rate when competing for funds that could modernise labs, hire postdocs and foster innovation. Without targeted institutional investment, the university will continue to punch below its weight regardless of EU entry.

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Regional Competition and the Pull of Belgrade

Geography and history magnify the challenge. The University of Belgrade, with its scale and resources, has long drawn Montenegrin students, a trend that Bieber expects to persist. EU membership is likely to make degree recognition and cross-border study even smoother, removing legal and administrative barriers. While this benefits students individually, it raises the stakes for domestic universities: if they cannot offer a comparable research environment and global networks, they will lose not only undergraduates but also the pipeline of master’s and doctoral researchers essential for building a home-grown academic base.

EU Membership as a Catalyst, Not a Quick Fix

Djurovic and Bieber both agree that transformation will be gradual. Montenegro’s higher education system is already integrated enough that EU accession will not create wholly new dynamics overnight. Instead, it will amplify existing trends—more mobility, more competition, more funding opportunities—while exposing the structural weaknesses that blunt their impact. The real test is whether universities and the government use the accession window to build the administrative and research infrastructure that can convert chance into capacity.

What This Means for Institutions and Students

For university leaders and policymakers:

  • Establish dedicated research support offices. Djurovic’s observation that the lack of such offices depresses grant success rates points to an immediate fix: hire professional staff to assist with Horizon Europe applications and post-award management.
  • Launch national co-financing schemes. To act as lead institutions in EU projects, Montenegrin universities often need matching funds that government can provide through targeted programmes, reducing reliance on junior partnerships.
  • Negotiate faculty exchange and joint-degree partnerships. Proactively partner with strong regional universities, such as the University of Graz, to build institutional capacity and offer students international exposure without losing them entirely to Serbia.

For students and researchers:

  • Plan early for EU mobility opportunities. As legal barriers fall, Erasmus+ placements and Horizon-funded research positions will become more accessible; early preparation can secure placements before competition intensifies.
  • Seek out the handful of existing consortia led by Montenegro’s partners. While domestic capacity grows, participating as a junior researcher in established EU projects remains a practical route to funding and network-building.