The 2026/2027 academic year began on 1 October. Around 13,800 freshmen sat down in lecture halls for the first time, and in total around 53,500 students are enrolled in undergraduate studies across the country - 46,925 full-time and roughly 6,600 part-time.

As every year, the country's top officials spread out across the universities. The strongest message, though, came not from Skopje but from Štip. At Goce Delčev University, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski urged freshmen to travel, study and train abroad - but to come back in the end.

"Wherever you go, come back home. Come back with knowledge, with experience, with ideas and with the strength to build our homeland, Macedonia, together," Mickoski said. He added that what is shown on social media "is essentially not real life" and that it isn't true that life somewhere far away is better than at home.

On the plaza of Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, the top-ranked freshmen from each of its 23 faculties received their student record books. President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova told them to be "rebels with a cause", to trust in the power of critical thinking and not to let artificial intelligence erode the natural mind. Education Minister Vesna Janevska announced a scholarship call with new categories, including students with rare diseases and special educational needs, as well as a thorough reconstruction of two student dormitories in Skopje, one of which - "Kuzman Josifovski-Pitu" - is due to open soon.

In Štip, around 1,500 freshmen enrolled across 12 faculties and three academies, while Mother Teresa University opened the year with around 1,000 new students.

"Come back home" sounds nice. But young people rarely come back because of a speech at an opening lecture. They come back for a salary, a flat and institutions that work. If the prime minister greets freshmen by telling them to return, then the next four years won't be judged by his words in Štip - they'll be judged by whether there's anything to return to. Will the government offer something besides advice?