The motives for the professors to support students are the law changes that stipulate the obligation for them to publish academic works in world-renowned magazines. Their works should demonstrate their competitiveness in global terms, which is a practice in many European countries, said Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski on Saturday.

"The motif for support of the students is that changes in the law on state exam include a section which professors do not mention, since it is not favorable for them. Namely, the changes stipulate that as of 2018, every professor must publish at least two academic works in an impact-factor magazine within five years, but not in any magazines, but world-renowned ones", PM Gruevski told reporters after the promotion of 50 new titles of edition "Stars of World Literature".

He added that professors have published a number of works in magazines in Serbia and Macedonia, which are not quite relevant.

"Macedonia has 300 works in magazines that are part of Web of Science, or 5,000 works over the past five years. A country similar in size - Slovenia - has 50,000 works over the past five years. An academic work requires more effort, more academic research and commitment by the professor and here lays the problem", said Gruevski.