History

In the 1990s, following the independence of the Republic of Macedonia, several streams of research-driven activism emerged, involving young enthusiasts—high school students, university students, professors, and assistants from faculties of natural and medical sciences. Among them was the branch of the Youth Council of Macedonia called Young Researchers of Macedonia (YRM), which in the early 1990s carried out the first field research actions (medicinal plants on Plačkovica, survival in nature, etc.) and educational camps. At the same time, the Department of Plant Ecology at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (FNSM) launched a project which aim was to study the oak forests. A research station was set up in Galicica National Park, where summer and winter camps were organized in the village of Carina on Mount Galicica.

Inspired by such ventures, on January 12, 1994, a group of students, with the support of professors from the Faculty of Pharmacy in Skopje, founded the Macedonian Pharmaceutical Student Association – MPSA. Initially, MPSA operated as a regular student body within the Faculty of Pharmacy in Skopje. The organization consisted of several structural sectors, including a student exchange office, a student ombudsman, and the Scientific Research Association (SRA). Over time, and with changes in the legal framework for student movements, SRA remained the representative structure through which students of the Faculty of Pharmacy define and carry out their research activities.
Today, SRA’s mission is to affirm scientific thinking, promote science among students, enable the realization of scientific ideas, support their creativity and student activism, and encourage future scientists to pursue the path of science.


From the very beginning, SRA focused on creating a pharmacognostic map of the Republic of Macedonia, aiming to valorize natural resources. This gave rise to the tradition of organizing annual summer field research projects. The first such project was held on Mount Golak near Delčevo, in the Maleševo Mountains. It began on July 7, 1994, and lasted 20 days, with international participation from students from Ireland, Spain, Germany, and the Czech Republic, thanks to collaboration with the International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF). Later research projects were also organized with the support of the European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association (EPSA).
This was the initial stimulus that ignited and sustained research potential among students. Through SRA’s activities, this potential has been continuously realized for 30 years, with more than 30 large-scale summer field research projects and many smaller studies conducted annually. This effort not only contributes to the valorization of Macedonia’s natural resources but also opens doors for proactive students and young researchers who wish to deepen their knowledge and engage in scientific research.
In its further development, SRA expanded its activities to include ethnopharmacological research, which began in 2003 in the Prespa and Strumica regions. The activities of SRA have always been closely linked and intertwined with those of MPSA, which in its early days was a member of both IPSF and EPSA. Under the initiative of Gjose Stefkov, the first scientific symposium was organized and held in 1997 in Skopje and Ohrid. This symposium later evolved into the Summer University, which became a regular activity in EPSA’s calendar. Over the years, SRA, in its capacity as the MPSA, has hosted summer universities on several occasions (2003, 2007, 2014, 2025), thereby strengthening its collaboration with EPSA and affirming the position of pharmacy students from Macedonia within international pharmaceutical organizations.

As part of the EPSA-supported events, the European Pharmaceutical Summer Seminar (EPSS) is traditionally held in the village of Velestovo near Ohrid. This seminar aims to deepen knowledge and foster networking among students. Its origins date back to 2016, initiated by students from the Faculty Student Assembly of the Faculty of Pharmacy (FSAFP) and the Scientific Research Association – SRA. The seminar has an international character, with students participating from several European countries such as Austria, Denmark, Greece, Romania, Moldova, Cyprus, Turkey, and others. Students from the Faculty of Pharmacy and the Faculty of Medicine at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University (UKIM), “Goce Delchev” University – Shtip, the State University of Tetovo, as well as students from abroad, participate in the realization of the project. The professional part of the program is led by professors and assistants from the Faculties of Pharmacy, Medicine, and Natural Sciences and Mathematics at UKIM, as well as relevant experts from the field. In addition to students, the seminar includes foreign professors and assistants working on relevant research topics.

SRA, as the successor to MPSA, continues to exist as an independent, non-governmental student organization that is not bound by the regulatory frameworks for student organizations within UKIM.