Present and future of new regional geography in the education school's system and scientific discipline's position at the University of Belgrade

Abstract

The classical division of space into regions has been retained in textbooks for primary and secondary schools, as well as for the universities. Regional scholars from the University of Belgrade - Faculty of Geography follow world geography, as well as develop a critical opinion on the role of the regions (formal and functional regions), regional geography as spatial science, regional development, regional identity, and research problematic issues related to the regions. Teaching regional geography students recognize spatial problems that burden the regions, as well as acquire education and knowledge transfer skills in new situations, develop critical thinking etc. In order to achieve this, regional geography curriculum are quantitatively and qualitatively transformed and summarized, thereby replacing the extensive factual material with a problematic approach to the study of the region. The aim of article is to determine the role of regional scholars from the University of Belgrade - Faculty of Geography in modern geographic research, as well as to improve the position of new regional geography, whose task is to inform the scientific and professional public with the pluralistic nature of the world and contemporary trends that link the global level and levels of regional and local communities. Scientific and practical affirmation of the region takes place from a local to a global level, as a result of the new regional development paradigm, based on the knowledge and the changes in the economy, technology, and policies emerged in the last thirty years.