Nevertheless, it is quite clear that this is only the beginning. The state of Serbian universities is far from satisfactory. There are many more things yet to be done Successful implementation of the Bologna process needs considerable adjustment of the higher education legal framework. Serbian academic society waited until September 2005 to get the legal framework that was consistent with Bologna declaration principles.

The 2005 law implied harmonization with the European High Education system, promotion of students and professors' mobility, and above all, it made it possible for the National Council for High Education to come into being. The Council is an independent body which has established the Accreditation and Quality Assurance commision, which is responsible for official approval, evaluation, assessment of the curricula and quality assurance of high education institutions.

What has been done at many high education institutions in Serbia is the introduction of restructured academic study programmes, lasting three or four years, as well as the ECTS. (Slika 4) As far as the 2007/2008 academic year is concerned, students were enrolled in high education institutions for Bachelor, Master and PhD programmes compliant with the Bologna Principles.

However, Serbia should make concrete progress in establishing Bachelor and Master degrees at every university, continue developing quality assurance systems and advance in the issue of the recognition of diplomas. It is a disappointing fact for many students to study hard in order to graduate, and still, their diplomas do not have any value in the world. Another disappointing fact is that many students buy their diplomas at private universities without making any effort.

(Slika 5) Not to mention the curricula at many universities, which are still out-of-date and obsolete. To illustrate, students at the Faculty of Economics in Ni š take many examinations which are mostly based on the theories and the political practice of Marxism. (Slika 6) Then, students of electrical or electronic engineering, the faculty of which is consedered to be one of the most demanding faculties in Serbia, finish their studies without any practical knowledge. At the end of their difficult and time-consuming studies, which usually lasts for five years, they find themselves at the very beginning, as far as the acquired applicable knowledge is concerned. Moreover, nepotism, bribe and corruption at universities is still more than evident, resulting in the discouraging and disappointing collective consciousness among the students. All this leads to a general depression of the young in Serbia who graduate without practical knowledge and find it very hard to find adequate jobs.

Unemployment is still a basic problem in Serbia. According to the facts of the Ministry of the Young and Sports* , the largest number of the unemployed among the young are women (55 %), and then come those who have not finished primary school. The great majority is not even registered on the list of the labour market and they accept almost anything just to get work: they volunteer, they work unregistered, and many of them do not even have a single day in the employment record up to their thirties.

*an article on the unemployment of the young in Serbia in the Blic (a Serbian daily newspaper, Tuesday November 13, 2007 )