ISJ - About the Institute

CD Dictionary / Web Dictionary

History
Stock Company
Management

History (Facts about us)

The Institute for Foreign Languages Co. in Belgrade represents one of the oldest institutions of the kind in our country. It was founded in 1952, but started officially working in 1953 under the name of The Institute for Phonetic, Speech Pathology and Learning Foreign Languages. Work was conducted at several locations - at the Serbian Academy of Science, at The Faculty of Law, in Zeleznik, at The Institute in Vinca and The Eye Clinic. In 1956 the Institute moved to 35 Gospodar Jovanova street.

Various activities of The Institute for Phonetic, Speech Pathology and Learning Foreign Languages contributed to the establishment of a specific department for foreign language teaching under the name "The Institute for Foreign Languages" with the following goals:

Conducting research in learning foreign languages and developing effective teaching methods as well as audio visual material,
Conducting research in current methodologies of learning both, foreign and Serbian as foreign languages,
Experimentally applying effective teaching methods in teaching adults as well as children (pre-school and school age),
Producing didactic teaching materials,
Teacher training and development to enable teachers to apply new and effective teaching techniques,
Training staff for simultaneous, consecutive and written translation at international meetings,
Language competency assessment for all persons travelling abroad or using foreign languages at work,
Issuing certificates for completed courses.

At the beginning the Institute was primarily engaged in research; teaching foreign languages was only conducted experimentally. Today, teaching is the primary function of the Institute and all other activities are conducted to enhance teaching. In the first year, 1953 there were only 150 students, learning English. After 1963, there were 3.900 students learning 6 languages, and in 1982 a record 16.400 students learning 7 languages.

More than 500.000 students have attended courses at the Institute which practically means that every 15th person in Yugoslavia has been a student at the Institute. 30.000 foreigners have learned Serbian.

The number of employees has increased as well. In 1953, only about 30 were employed, and immediately after the separation there were 117 employees. In 1982 a record number of 210 people were working full time at the Institute and presently there are 140 employees.

The Institute is also engaged in publishing books as well as producing audio and video cassettes for classroom use. More than 760 books have been published with a circulation of about 950.000 copies. It is estimated that the Publishing Bureau in Belgrade and other publishing companies in Pristina and Skoplje have published over 500.000 foreign language course books that were written by teachers from the Institute.

The Institute is without any doubt the largest producer of audio teaching material. At first, recording tapes were produced with 120 recordings per year. Later on, in our own sound recording studio the production and sale of recorded tapes, audio and video cassettes rose to 10.000 copies per year.

Memorable dates for the Institute are:

1953.	foundation and beginning of work
1957.	beginning of work on teaching materials for primary schools
1961.	course books published by the Institute used in 5th grade of primary schools
1964.	department for teaching foreign languages to children started working
1966.	course books published by the Institute used in 1st year of secondary schools
1978.	in New Belgrade, 10 Goce Delčeva Street, a branch department opened in newly purchased premises
1989.	a computer network was set up at the Institute
1990.	new branch departments were opened at Institute's own business premises in: New Belgrade - block 45, Dr. Ivan Ribar New Belgrade - block 22, 32 Milentije Popović Bežanijska kosa - 1 Dragiša Brašovan Banovo brdo - 85b Požeska Street
1991.	Gallery-Bookshop opened
1993.	The Institute transformed into a stock company
2002.	business premises bought on Banovo Brdo, 67a Požeška Street
2004.	business premises bought on Novi Beograd, 25/29 Španskih boraca street
2005.	business premises bought on Voždovac, 113 Vojvode Stepe street

Stock Company

Since its foundation, the Institute has relied on its own financial resources and has conducted business in accordance with market economy. The Institute is one of the first enterprises which has transformed into a Stock Co. and as such is registered at the Commercial Court in Belgrade.

Since 1993 till the present the Institute has managed to preserve its stock co. status, despite all changed laws, with 75% of private capital. There is a total number of 229 stock holders.

Bodies of the Co. consist of an Assembly that is comprised of all stock holders, the Board of Directors comprised of 9 members, director, and Supervisory Board comprised of 3 members.

There are 140 full time employees at the Institute.

The Institute engages in the following activities:

teaching foreign languages to adults and Serbian to foreigners,
teaching foreign languages to pre-school and school children,
training teachers for using effective and current teaching techniques,
language testing and assessment,
research in linguistic and methodology as well as designing projects in those areas,
writing course books and producing teaching materials,
publishing,
recording and copying audio and visual material,
setting up language labs,
maintenance of labs.

Activities of the Co. are conducted through the following Departments:

Department for Adults (I Department),
Department for Children (II Department),
Department for Research and Development (III Department)

and General Services:

Technical Support,
Human Resources and Legal Services,
Financial and Accounting Division.

Management

General Manager of the Institute	Jelena Mihailović
President of Board of Directors	Olgica Milošević
Members of Board of Directors	Jelena Rašić Jelena Grujić Dejana Todorović Marina Dinić dr Zoran Đerković Jelena Mihailović Olgica Milošević, predsednik Svetlana Rudež mr Ratomir Slijepčević
Supervisory Committee	dr Julijana Vučo, predsednik Danilo Babin Zoran Cvetanović
Executive Director of the Department for Adults	Svetlana Rudež
Assistant Head of Department for Adults	Dejana Todorović
Ececutive Director of the Department for Children	Marina Dinić
Assistant Head of Department for Children	Milena Marković
Head of Department for Research and Development	Bojana Kolak
President of Supervisory Committee	dr Julijana Vučo
Head of Legal & Administrative Services	Biljana Drakula
Head of Financial Services	Stojanka Milovanović