Some media recently announced that professors from the Belgrade Academy of Business and Art Vocational Studies were arrested and convicted for selling exams. According to information that can be found on the website of the National Accreditation Body (NAT), one of the arrested professors is a member of the Board of Directors of this important institution, which, based on Article 14 of the Law on Higher Education, carries out accreditation, quality control of higher education institutions, evaluation of study programs and quality assurance in higher education. Members of the NAT Board of Directors should be renowned experts and honorable professionals who will not subordinate the public interest to their private or political interest. The Network of Academic Solidarity and Engagement (MASA) turned to the Board of Directors of NAT to make a statement about its controversial member and to inform the public whether the process of dismissal of the aforementioned member, who was elected to the Board of Directors on the proposal of the Conference of Academies and Colleges, has begun. As we have not received any response so far, we are forced to publicly address the Management Board of NAT with the request that they disassociate themselves from the arrested colleague and submit a request for his removal to the Serbian Parliament. By tolerating the illegal and unethical behavior of a professor who sits together with them on the Board of Directors of such an important institution, the reputation of the education system in Serbia is further damaged and, unfortunately, calls into question the credibility of NAT's further activities. Aside from the public party involvement (election campaign, signatures of support) of certain members of the NAT Board of Directors, which should be incompatible with the exercise of public office in an institution whose basic role is to be independent and impartial, we are now facing a direct damage to reputation and credibility the highest authority for checking the quality of higher education institutions.
