In the heart of Bitola, in the "Manaki" cinema, an exciting debate was held on one of the most relevant topics in higher education: "Private versus state universities". As part of the "Strengthening Your Potential" project, respected professors, students and members of the local community gathered to debate the quality of higher education institutions in the Republic of Macedonia and the challenges they face.

In an era marked by the pursuit of quality in education, the traditional division between private and public universities is increasingly challenged. Participants of the debate: prof. PhD. Ace Milenkovski, rector of Skopje University, prof. PhD. Igor Nedelkovski, rector of the University "St. Clement Ohridski" from Bitola, Silvija Popchanovska, post-graduate of BAS "Akademija Smilevski" and Boris Gushevski, student leader of USS UKLO, delved into exactly this key issue and discussed the innovative perspectives for the future of higher education.
The participants in the debate agreed that private and state universities are integral components of one and the same educational system, whose cooperation should be aimed at encouraging innovation and improving accessibility, thereby raising the standard of education in the country. They emphasized that instead of dealing with the artificial boundaries imposed between private and public universities, the priority issue for society and institutions should be quality versus poor quality education. Quality assessment metrics are critical to ensuring that every student receives the caliber of education they deserve.

At the debate, the participants particularly emphasized that education does not only mean imparting knowledge, but also nurturing generations of capable and engaged citizens. Rector Milenkovski emphasized the importance of encouraging and encouraging young people to continue their education at home, but in an environment that will value their contribution and that will enable them to actively contribute to the progress and prosperity of the homeland and the nation.

At the end of the debate, the participants appealed for urgent systemic reforms in higher education whose priority will be the establishment of basic quality standards and called for immediate action to overcome this challenge, all with the aim of ensuring accessп за сите ученици до висококвалитетно образование.