Serbia Cuts State-Funded Postgraduate Spots at Niš Philosophy Faculty

The Faculty of Philosophy in Niš, Serbia, faces a significant reduction in state-funded postgraduate education, as the government has reportedly eliminated master's and doctoral study positions at three key departments. Dean Vladimir Jovanović confirmed the news, stating the faculty learned of the decision through media reports rather than an official notification.

The affected departments are Serbian Language, History, and Russian Language and Literature. While the University of Niš was allocated 1,111 state-funded spots for master's and doctoral studies, a note indicated that the 97 spots for the Faculty of Philosophy did not include these three departments. This follows a previous government decision to cut state-funded spots for first-year undergraduate studies in the same departments, leaving 40 prospective students without state support.

Adding to the faculty's challenges, funds from the national budget for operational costs, including employee salaries, have not yet been transferred. These appropriations were expected by the end of June, similar to other faculties. The faculty has struggled to obtain instructions necessary for these funds to be approved.

Both faculty members and students suspect these actions are retaliatory measures. They believe the government is punishing the faculty for its successful fight to retain the Serbian Language, History, and Russian Language and Literature departments. This struggle involved a legal battle where the Administrative Court initially suspended a Ministry of Education decision that would have altered the faculty's operational status and potentially favored a new "Faculty of Serbian Studies."

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The government of Serbia has abolished budget places for master's and doctoral studies at the departments of Serbian language, history, and Russian language and literature at the Faculty of Philosophy in Niš.