Academic Search for Justice in Serbia

27 April, 2026, 14:00 – 15:30 CET
online

Organised by GenderSAFE’s Central Eastern European Community of Practice

About the webinar

This session brings first-hand perspectives from Serbian academia on the ongoing, student-led protests and their spillover into broader civic mobilization. Building from the origins of the movement – sparked by public outrage over accountability and governance failures – the speakers from the University of Belgrade – Faculty of Chemistry: Dr. Maja Šumar Ristović (associate professor), Sladjana Savić Jovanović (PhD candidate/teaching assistant), and Danica Andjelic (undergraduate student) will trace how university protests evolved into wider demonstrations and how authorities have responded, including pressure on academic institutions and confrontations around the University of Belgrade. The discussion will focus on how right-wing conservatism and illiberal governance trends can constrain academic freedoms through intimidation, reputational attacks, procedural pressure, and shrinking space for dissent, including how the current developments may affect women and men differently in academia and public life (e.g. exposure to harassment, risk-taking, caregiving, and differential access to voice and leadership). Finally, the speakers will outline practical ways universities, staff, and students can defend academic freedom – through solidarity, documentation, collective action, and institutional safeguards that protect speech and participation.