NOVI SAD INITIATIVE LOGO An Impossible Object

Every initiative with the ambition of achieving a material impact uses a logo which makes it easier for the public to recognise it. At first sight the Novi Sad Initiative logo appears to be a rendering of a solid, three dimensional object. But on closer examination, it becomes clear that the three dimensional scene it appears to depict could not exist in reality. This illusory piece of art has another curious fascination. It can be viewed as an endless but finite strip with a remarkable property: it has only one side and one edge. This is a real object in both Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometry and represents a special version of the famous Möbius Strip with two arrows. The main idea behind the Logo is that one arrow represents the Bologna process and the other the Novi Sad initiative, which cohabitate and complement each other. They represent a triumph of reality over apparent impossibility.

ABOUT NS INITIATIVE

The initiative evolved from the European experts' seminar on institutional reform which took place in Novi Sad on October 28-30, 2005, now known as the “Novi Sad Initiative”. After the follow up "Dubrovnik Conference on Higher Education", two years later, the Novi Sad Initiative became a process with a series of biannual conferences and a steering group for monitoring the process between events.

The Novi Sad Initiative is aiming to address the issue of the reform of higher education institutions especially in the Western Balkan Region, but with implications for the whole Bologna zone, and tackles the hardest issue in higher education reform which has not been properly included in Bologna agenda so far. The purpose of the Initiative is to involve all parties in the region with responsibility in higher education in the reform process and to provide assistance from international organizations and individual EU and Regional experts, along with examples of best practice.