Continuing Professional Development for Academic Staff

Professional Development Framework (2025-2026)

Continuing professional development of academic staff in North Macedonia is closely linked to career progression and the system of academic ranks.

Academic staff are required to continuously develop their competences in teaching and research. Professional development takes place through research activities, scientific publications, participation in projects, conferences and other academic activities.

Academic titles are awarded for a limited period, typically five years. Re-election to an academic position depends on the fulfilment of criteria defined in the Law on Higher Education and institutional regulations, including teaching performance, research output and professional engagement.

Higher education institutions have autonomy in defining and supporting professional development activities.

Sources: Law on Higher Education

Organizational aspects

The Law on Higher Education provides specific organizational measures to support professional development, most notably the sabbatical leave: Upon their own request, academic staff elected to an academic title are entitled to a paid leave of one year every five years, or an unpaid leave of up to three years for professional development, research, or a study stay at an appropriate institution. During this period, their teaching duties are reassigned to other staff members. The specific conditions for exercising these rights are prescribed by the university statutes.

Incentives for Participation in continuing professional development (CPD)

To encourage high-quality research and global integration, the Ministry of Education and Science provides the following incentives:

• International Mobility: For professional development at universities ranked in the top 100 of the Shanghai Ranking (ARWU), US News, or Times Higher Education, the Ministry covers costs for accommodation, food, and travel.
• Conference Support: Financial support is provided for travel, accommodation, and fees for staff participating in international conferences, provided they submit a scientific paper or project.
• Publication Awards: Academic staff who publish scientific papers in journals with an impact factor (indexed in Web of Science or Scopus) are entitled to a one-time financial award equivalent to the national average net salary.
• Database Access: The Ministry ensures that academic staff at public universities have access to major international research databases to support their scientific work.