BEGINNINGS AND THE DEVELOPMENT
Blaže Koneski Faculty of Philology at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje is a higher education, research, and public institution in the field of philological sciences (linguistics, literature, and didactics) in the Republic of North Macedonia. It was established by a government decree of the People’s Republic of Macedonia for organizing a university in Skopje in 1945 and by a special resolution in 1946, with the first lectures held on December 16, 1946. The founding committee, which included the first Macedonian scientific and professor figures—Blaže Koneski, Dr. Mihail Petruševski, Dr. Haralampije Polenaković, Dr. Gjorgji Šoptrajanov, and Ljuben Lape—along with a few prominent invited scholars from the universities in Belgrade, Zagreb, and Ljubljana, constituted the core of the first Teaching-Scientific Council of the faculty, with Dr. Mihail Petruševski as the first dean and Dr. Fran Petre as the vice-dean. The faculty initially had two departments: the Philosophical Department and the Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. In 1974, the Faculty of Philology was constituted as a separate faculty, with the creation of two distinct faculties: the Faculty of Philosophy and the Faculty of Philology. Recognizing the contributions of academician Blaže Koneski, as one of the founders of the Faculty and his overall impact on the development of the Faculty of Philology, Macedonian studies, and Macedonian science in general, the Teaching-Scientific Council unanimously decided on March 26, 1997, to name the faculty in his honor, as the Blaže Koneski Faculty of Philology.
ACTIVITY
In its over 70 years of activity, the Blaže Koneski Faculty of Philology has a rich tradition as an institution of educational, scientific, and cultural significance, with international recognition. The Faculty’s entire work in the field of philology and culture is closely connected to national identity. Since its establishment, more than 9,000 students have graduated, becoming philologists trained for their profession in the field of education and for positions in other humanitarian sectors. The faculty has educated a host of distinguished teachers and researchers, linguists and literary theorists, translators and interpreters, critics in the field of literature and culture, writers and editors, who continuously contribute to the development of philological sciences as well as to the social, artistic, and cultural life in the Republic of North Macedonia.
WORK
Successfully adapting to the complex efforts to modernize the higher education system, the Blaže Koneski Faculty of Philology makes significant efforts to elevate the quality of the teaching and educational process and to advance scientific activity. The Faculty’s work as an educational and scientific institution in the field of philological sciences includes:
ABOUT OUR PATRON, BLAŽE KONESKI
Blaže Koneski (Nebregovo, 1921 – Skopje, 1993) is one of the founders of Macedonian studies and Macedonian philology, a participant in the codification of the modern Macedonian literary language, and a distinguished professor, linguist, literary historian, poet, prose writer, essayist, publicist, and translator. He played a key role in establishing a number of essential educational and cultural-artistic institutions, associations, and events: the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius (he was rector from 1958 to 1963), the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts (he was the first president from 1967 to 1975), the Writers’ Association of Macedonia (he was the first president in 1947), the Macedonian PEN Center, and the Struga Poetry Evenings. Koneski was a scholar and writer with significant international reputation, a member of several academies of sciences and arts, an honorary professor at numerous eminent universities, and a laureate of many Macedonian and international awards and recognitions, including: the Brothers Miladinov Award, the Herder Prize, the Njegoš Award, the Golden Wreath of the Struga Poetry Evenings, the Aco Šopov Award, the Skender Kulenović Award, the AVNOJ Award, the October 11 Award, the November 13 Award, and the Racin Award. In addition to being a member of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Koneski was also a member of several academies of sciences and arts: the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts, the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, and the Slovene Academy of Sciences and Arts.
Among Blaže Koneski’s extensive scientific and essayistic bibliography are numerous essential books, studies, and publications: Macedonian Orthography with Orthographic Dictionary (with Krum Toshev, 1950); Grammar of the Macedonian Literary Language (Part One, 1952); On the Macedonian Literary Language (1952); Grammar of the Macedonian Literary Language (Part Two, 1954); Dictionary of the Macedonian Language (1961); History of the Macedonian Language (1965); Dictionary of the Macedonian Language (Volume Two, 1965); Dictionary of the Macedonian Language (Volume Three, 1966); The Language of Macedonian Folk Poetry (1971); Macedonian 19th Century, Linguistic and Literary-Historical Contributions (1986); Tikveš Collection (1987); Macedonian Places and Themes (1991); Celestial River (Macedonian Book, 1991); The World of Legend and Song (Essays and Contributions, 1993). Blaže Koneski is also one of the doyens of contemporary Macedonian poetry. His lyrical bibliography includes: the poem The Bridge (1945), The Earth and Love (1948), Songs (1953), Weaving (1955, 1961), Songs (Kočo Racin, 1963), Star (Thought, 1966), Records (1974), Old and New Songs (1979), Vineyards and Songs in Prose; Places and Moments (1981), The Fountains (Poetry, 1984), Church (Thought, 1988), Golden-Crest (Macedonian Book, 1989), Seismograph (Thought, 1989), Celestial River (Macedonian Book, 1991), and Black Ram (Culture, 1993). Koneski is also the author of the short story collections Vineyards (1955) and Diary After Many Years (1988). His translation work is impressive; he translated outstanding poetic works from many languages: German (Heine), Russian (Blok, Bryusov, Mayakovsky), Polish (Mickiewicz, Słowacki, Kraśnicki), Czech (Macha, Neruda, Nezval), Serbian (Njegoš, Maksimović), and Slovenian (Prešeren). His poetry has been translated into many languages.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
Since its establishment in 1946, the Blaže Koneski Faculty of Philology has received numerous awards and recognitions, among which the most significant are:
– The October 11 Award, 1976;
– A commendation and plaque awarded to the Faculty by Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in 1976 (on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the founding of the first higher education organization in the SRM);
– A plaque awarded to the Faculty by the Institute of National History in 1978;
– A commendation from the University of Sarajevo, 1990;
– A certificate of appreciation from the International Seminar for Macedonian Language, Literature, and Culture (silver jubilee) 1967-1992;
– Recognition from a University in Poland in 1996;
– The Clement of Ohrid Award in 1996 (on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Faculty, as a societal recognition for particularly significant achievements in education and upbringing of interest to the Republic of Macedonia).
Members of the teaching staff have received numerous prestigious national and international awards and recognitions for scientific and artistic achievements:
– AVNOJ Award
– Clement of Ohrid Award
– November 13 Award
– Goce Delčev Award
– Brothers Miladinov Award
– Dimitar Mitrev Award
– Stale Popov Award
– Aco Šopov Award
– Racin Award
– Herder Prize
– Njegoš Award
– Goethe Medal
– Lermontov Fund Medal
– French Decorations, Knight and Officer of the Legion of Honor
– French Decoration, Knight of the Order of Academic Palms
– Župančič Award
– Božidar Nastev Award
– Golden Pen – Balkanika Award
– Novel of the Year
– “Nova Makedonija” Award
– Scientist of the Year
FIRST-CYCLE (UNDERGADUATE) STUDIES
Undergraduate studies at the Blaže Koneski Faculty of Philology last 4 (four) years, and since 2005, teaching is conducted according to the criteria of the ECTS system and the Bologna Declaration.
The teaching and research activities at the Blaže Koneski Faculty of Philology are organized and conducted through eleven departments:
Since 2007, the Faculty also hosts the Center for Testing and Certification of Macedonian as a Foreign Language.
SECOND-CYCLE (M.A.) STUDIES
At the Blaže Koneski Faculty of Philology, postgraduate studies are organized in the scientific fields of language and literature, including:
Language Studies:
Literature Studies:
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
Since its establishment, the Faculty has achieved extensive and significant international cooperation through inter-university agreements. Among the notable partnerships are:
Through these international agreements, the Faculty has established cooperation in education, research, and culture, including joint scientific research projects and topics, exchange of visiting professors, student and postgraduate exchange, organization of joint scientific conferences, exchange of specialists, participation in joint scientific projects, and exchange of publications, books, scientific literature, and more.
VALUES
The highest academic standards and integrity from both the teaching staff and students; collegiality and cooperation; freedom of thought and expression; diversity, equality, and social justice; nurturing students in the spirit of humanity and democracy; lifelong education.
VISION
The vision of the Faculty of Philology is to contribute to the development and well-being of society through higher education, where new generations will acquire, apply, and enhance the knowledge and skills necessary to become equal and competitive citizens in the new global world. We believe this will be achieved by fostering a spirit of intellectual curiosity, promoting a culture of cosmopolitanism through learning global and regional languages and understanding their cultures, and upholding the highest scientific and research standards. In this way, we will continue to be a ground for scholars, educators, translators, and intellectuals who will contribute to the development of the Macedonian language, culture, and society through their work, creativity, and dialogue on an equal footing with the world around us.
MISSION
The mission of the Faculty of Philology is to prepare experts in the field of philological sciences; to organize and develop scientific and research activities; to nurture the development of teaching and scientific personnel and to organize various forms of scientific and professional education; to publish textbooks, other teaching materials, publications, scientific and professional books, and more; to work on the enhancement and improvement of existing staff in collaboration with other institutions and organizations; to organize and participate in symposiums, scientific gatherings, and other scientific activities; to collaborate with related educational and scientific institutions both domestically and internationally with the goal of organizing and improving the teaching and scientific activities of the disciplines studied at the Faculty; to organize other forms of teaching and scientific work within other international programs, and to conduct teaching in foreign languages and in the Macedonian language at the faculties of the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, as the core Faculty for this type of education.
