Academic Support and Youth Project Engagement Across Serbia’s Regions: “If you build it, they will come”

Abstract

The research presented in this chapter examines the impact of higher educa-tion institutional support on the participation of youth, aged 18-24, in extra-curricular activities across the Republic of Serbia and its neighbors (Monte-negro and BiH), with particular attention to regional disparities. The research encompasses a sample of 1,638 university students from mentioned regions. Differences between groups were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis tests. The findings underscore the significant role of extracurricular activities, such as involvement in student projects and participation in student organizations, across all regions. Notably, students from less developed areas, specifically Eastern and Southern Serbia, exhibit a higher propensity for engaging in these activities. Furthermore, the study reveals that extracurricular engage-ment is not influenced by academic performance. These results provide val-uable insights for formulating policy recommendations and developing pro-grams within higher education institutions.