Aleksandar Baucal is a full professor at the Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy where he teaches developmental psychology and educational psychology. Deals with the following topics in his research: how children and the youth develop core competencies through interacting with their peers and adults; which characteristics of students, teachers and schools impact the students’ educational achievement; evaluation of quality, equity and efficiency of education (international and national assessment studies such as PISA study); experiences and position of children from the Roma community in education and the quality of their education; school assessment; student anxiety and its impact on learning mathematics; the importance of preschool education for child development and education etc. Published approximately 200 papers to date. Currently holding the position of Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of Psychology of Education and coordinating the SIG 10 network which is a part of EARLI association, which is one of the largest associations of education researchers.

Engaged in education reform in Serbia between 2001 and 2004, for which he received the City of Belgrade Award in 2004. Former member of the Education Reform Council, National Education for All Forum (UNESCO) and the national curriculum commission. Founder and first director (2002-2004) of the national Center for Evaluation in Education (currently the Institute for the Evaluation of Quality of Education).

Worked as an international consultant for several international organisations since 2001: UNICEF, OSCE, Save the Children, Open Society Institute, European Commission and World Bank. As a consultant, he was hired on projects improving school assessment, development of external examination, development of national exams, analysis of effects and education policy development, as well as national curriculum development. Over the last 10 years he is intensively engaged in monitoring and improving the equity of education, particularly improving the quality of education for Roma children as one of the most sensitive and vulnerable groups of children in Serbia.