Professor on "Rebellious University" protest: We had no choice but to show we are still here, unsubdued

Members of the "rebellious university" in Serbia gathered at a prominent intersection to mark the anniversary of their protest. The demonstration commemorated their opposition to a government decree that reduces scientific work hours, which they view as a direct penalty for supporting student protests.

Svetlana Stanarević, a professor at the Faculty of Security, emphasized the importance of the commemoration. She stated that the past year has been turbulent, with the university facing numerous challenges and pressures from the government and relevant ministries. "We simply had no other choice but to show that we are still here, that we are still rebellious, unsubdued, and that we truly have something to say," she explained.

Stanarević added that the university community is prepared to resist these pressures, which they believe aim to erode the institution's autonomy and the freedoms it has earned. "We have an answer to all these pressures and to everything they are trying to undermine the university with, to weaken it and its autonomy and the freedoms we have gained, which we deserve," she asserted.

The professor described the situation within her own faculty as normal, with academic activities proceeding as usual. However, looking at the broader academic community and society, she noted a sense of apprehension and uncertainty. This unease is partly due to ongoing demands and the recent introduction of the SPIRI system, an information system for public finance management. The university community argues that the implementation of SPIRI bypasses established procedures and laws, infringing upon the university's autonomy in managing its finances.

“

Imamo odgovor na sve te pritiske i na sve ono što oni pokušavaju na određen način da uruše univerzitet, da oslabe i uruše i njegovu autonomiju i slobode koje smo stekli, koje imamo, koje zaslužujemo, tako da je prosto bilo neizbežno i tu smo opet na raskrsnici.