A protest organized by members of the academic community, gathered around the “Rebel University” initiative, is set to begin today at 11:52 AM in front of the Serbian Government building. The protest will start with a symbolic sixteen-minute silence, while the programmatic part of the event will commence at 6:00 PM.
The protest, titled “Faculties at a Crossroads,” highlights three key demands:
- Dismantling the Working Group for drafting the new Law on Higher Education and initiating a public, inclusive discussion.
- Annulment of illegal amendments to the Decree on University Work Standards and rectifying their consequences.
- Adoption of budget quotas for university enrollment by the end of June at the latest.
Before the official start, a press conference is scheduled at the intersection of Kneza Miloša and Nemanjina streets, where the protest initiators will speak. Representatives from the “Rebel University” initiative, the Forum of the University of Arts in Belgrade, Free Universities of Novi Sad, Kragujevac, Niš, Novi Pazar, and Proaktiva University in Pristina (with temporary headquarters in North Mitrovica) are expected to attend.
The Independent Union of Serbian Educators (NSPRS) has called on employees in preschool institutions, primary and secondary schools, and all other educational system institutions to join the university professors’ protest.
