Macedonian Students: Their Awareness of EU Studies and a Sense of Belonging to EHEA

The academic students as future citizens of Europe are the key energy and strength upon which the democratic and civic oriented Europe is based and built, united and enriched through its cultural diversity. The one of the key factors in achieving the idea of "Europe without borders" is fulfilling a joint European Higher Education Area (EHEA), which involves implementing the principles of the Bologna Declaration. That process is unachievable without active student participation and contribution, which implies consistency in their awareness, also it implies the current trends and reforms in higher education and the opportunities for mobility and exchange of ideas and opinions. By preparing a questionnaire, this paper aims to investigate sense of belonging of the Macedonian students to the European Higher Education Area. Students who are still not part of the European Union Member States, are feeling unequal and less aware about the possibilities of studying in other countries. Even though this fact can be an obstacle in the integration process, the research proved that students in the Republic of Macedonia, although not considered to be European citizens, are sharing the European values. Keywords: European Higher Education Area, mobility, equality, awareness, European citizen