Professors Petition Gov’t to Revoke Decree on Work Rules for Universities

University of Belgrade (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV)

A group of professors of the University in Belgrade requested the Serbian government on April 22 to put out of effect the amendments to the Decree on the operation norms and standards for universities and faculties.

A professor of the Faculty of Philosophy, Oliver Toskovic, told N1 that professors viewed the decree as “the next canopy that is hanging over university education.”

The two-member delegation of professors handed over the letter to the Serbian government, addressed directly to Prime Minister Djuro Macut, who is also a university professor, the N1 portal has reported. “We are addressing Prime Minister Macut, who is also a university professor and should possess a broader understanding of our position. We are referring to the harmful decree of the previous ministry, of the same nomenclature, which would devastate education in Serbia. It not only undermined the rights of individuals, but also destroyed the purpose of university education,” Toskovic stated.

In his words, half of work of a university professor consists of tuition and the other half of research. With the amendments to the Decree, research has been reduced to 12 percent, “making it invisible.” “The decree devastates not just this generation – it devastates university education for all future generations by destroying science. We view the Decree as a new canopy that is hanging over university education. We expect the abolishing of the (amended) Decree and putting it out of effect… We understand clearly that the Decree was not amended to introduce changes, but as an act of revenge,” Toskovic stated.