Aleksander Baucal

Aleksander Baucal is a Professor of Developmental Psychology and Educational Assessment at the University of Belgrade (since 1993). He holds concurrent roles as Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of Psychology of Education and Founding Co-Editor of Springer's Social Interaction in Learning and Development book series. His career spans over 30 years in education reform, policy analysis, and large-scale educational assessment.

Education:

• PhD in Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Belgrade (1997–1999)
• MSc in Psychology, University of Belgrade (1993–1997)
• Bachelor's in Psychology, University of Belgrade (1988–1992)

Research Focus: Specializes in child development, evidence-based policy-making, and strengthening collaboration between researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. Expertise includes curriculum development, national examination systems, and international educational standards (e.g., PISA). His work emphasizes strategic planning, policy implementation, and monitoring & evaluation (M&E).

Consulting & Leadership: Served as Senior Advisor for Serbia's PISA program (2002–2019), Team Leader for World Bank projects, and consultant for UNICEF, OECD, and EU initiatives. Key roles include Director of Serbia's National Centre for Evaluation in Education (2003–2004) and advisor to Ministries of Education in Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, and others.

Grants & Collaborations: Extensive experience with international funding including EU, UNICEF, World Bank, and Open Society Foundations. Projects focused on education sector reforms, social inclusion, and poverty reduction.