Podgorica, September 27, 2021 – More than 4,000 students enrolled in the first year of undergraduate studies at the University of Montenegro; of that number, as many as 85% enrolled online. Most of them used the opportunity to enroll quickly and easily, using the upisi.edu.me website – without waiting in lines and collecting the necessary documents.

Given that the process of selecting and enrolling faculties, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, can be stressful, UNDP has joined forces with domestic and international partners to design a fully automated electronic service that will make it easier for prospective students to take their first steps toward higher education and future professional opportunities.

The upisi.edu.me platform was created within the project “E-services and digital infrastructure as a measure of response to COVID-19“, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports and the Ministry of Public Administration, Digital Society and Media, with financial support European Union.

Electronic enrollment has reduced logistical and systemic barriers to enrollment, making this procedure easier and more accessible for high school graduates from all over Montenegro. During the enrollment, the graduates did not have to enclose any documents, such as birth certificates or grade certificates.

The enrollment procedure is simple: high school graduates fill in basic information in an electronic application and enter their e-mail address and the faculty to which they are applying. After registration and entering the unique citizen’s master number (JMB), basic data on the candidate are extracted from the information system of the Ministry of the Interior, while information on grades and academic success during the four grades of high school are taken over from the register of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports.

The overall public administration reform in Montenegro aims to make the administration more efficient, transparent and closer to citizens and the economy, and one way is to take advantage of digital transformation. Through developing a range of digital services for citizens and businesses, UNDP will continue to support Montenegro on the path towards a better understanding of the possibilities of digitizing the public sector and changing the business culture. It can be simpler – it can be online!