Universities Suffering Rising Political, Institutional Pressures

Rector Vladan Djokic (BETAPHOTO/MILAN OBRADOVIC)

At a panel discussion called, "Universities under Pressure: Academic Freedoms, Democracy and European Solidarity" held at the Belgrade University Rectorate, the participants were informed about the pressures that the Belgrade University has been facing for the last several months.

The participants of the panel said that today universities around the world are suffering rising political and institutional pressures, due to which the defense of academic freedoms extends beyond the borders of the academic community and becomes a question of defending democratic values, the public interest and room for critical thought, the Belgrade University said in a statement.

Belgrade University Rector Vladan Djokic said that the university has not entered politics, but rather politics has tried to penetrate the university's autonomy and discipline institutions that have public credibility and social responsibility.

Berlin Humboldt University president in Berlin and representative of the Circle U. European university alliance Julia von Blumenthal stressed that universities were almost always the first target of authoritarian tendencies.

"Whenever a nondemocratic or authoritarian movement comes to power, the first targets are the judiciary, media and academic community. The question is not whether they will be attacked but who will be first in line," she said.

Student movement representative Nada Trifkovic stressed that students had taken to the streets because they believe in the importance of institutions and democracy and that they will not stop "until institutions begin taking us seriously and start doing something for the benefit of citizens."