Report from the forum held in order to start a discussion on the possible reform of legal acts and university regulations

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Network of Academic Solidarity and Engagement (MASS) organized the discussion that took place on Tuesday, 15.3.2022. year, in the Polet gallery. The intention was to initiate a broad academic discussion on the possible reform of legal acts and university regulations that regulate the manner, procedure and minimum conditions for acquiring a title and establishing a working relationship as a teacher at the University of Belgrade. (and other universities in Serbia). The immediate reason for the reform of the procedures and conditions for elections to positions and the establishment of an employment relationship at the University of Belgrade are the increasingly frequent cases of elections in which various irregularities come to light. Many of these cases end up in public and in the courts, which causes damage to both individuals and the University of Belgrade. These problems often arise as a result of the vagueness and even contradictions of the procedures related to the selection to the profession. The goal of the eventual reform would be to reduce vagueness, contradictions, abuses and damage caused to individuals, and thus to the University of Belgrade.

The panel was moderated by prof. Dr. Dušan Pavlović, member of the KO MASA, while the participants were:

Danilo Vuković, associate professor of the Faculty of Law, BU
Vladimir Milić, general secretary of the BU Rectorate
Iva Draškić Vićanović, dean of the Faculty of Philology, BU

In an open and substantive conversation in which the audience took part, several directions for future action in terms of reforming the existing procedures for selecting teachers and establishing a permanent employment relationship were crystallized:

1) It is necessary to initiate procedures for amending the Law on Higher Education and the regulations governing the manner and procedure for obtaining the title of teacher at the University of Belgrade. Some of the proposals that were heard at the panel were related to the introduction of a mandatory individual explanation when voting for the selection of teachers if voting against the proposal of the Election Commission. In addition, some of the participants of the forum proposed the complete exclusion of NNV from the process of making a decision on the selection of teachers, that is, it is sufficient for the selection decision to be made by the University's expert councils, which even now have the final say in the selection of teachers. Another possible amendment to the regulations governing the selection of teachers could refer to ethical and disciplinary responsibility for various abuses of the selection process. For both reforms, there are foundations in the existing regulations and ethical code of the University of Belgrade.

2) It is necessary to continue the discussion on the possibility of establishing a permanent employment relationship for teachers at Universities in Serbia before the election to the title of full professor. This can be arranged either linearly, by lowering the possibility of establishing a permanent employment relationship already at the time of selection to the position of docent or associate professor or by certain segments, for example with general subjects such as foreign languages. In this way, the pressure to advance to the rank of full professor with the basic motive of establishing a permanent employment relationship, which is often accompanied by the absence of the necessary motivation to continue a scientific career, would be reduced. On the other hand, in such circumstances, it would be possible to tighten the conditions for obtaining the highest title since it would be freed from the social component of permanent care for teachers (because this would already be solved with some of the lower titles).

Also, the possibility of permanent employment earlier would motivate high-quality students to stay at the university, since we are now increasingly in a situation, especially at technical faculties, that the best students go to the labor market, where they get far more favorable conditions when establishing an employment relationship, both in terms of finances and and in terms of establishing a permanent employment relationship.

In the end, establishing a permanent employment relationship in the late forties or fifties leads to a kind of infantilization of those who are in positions lower than regular professor, which seriously violates their dignity and labor rights.

Comparative analysis of the procedure for advancement to higher positions and the establishment of an employment relationship at Universities in Croatia and Serbia

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The Network of Academic Solidarity and Engagement (MASA) initiated the development of a comparative analysis of the procedure for promotion to higher positions and the establishment of an employment relationship at Universities in Croatia and Serbia. 

The goal of this report, authored by Dejana Nešić, is to guide us in the procedure for advancing to higher positions and establishing an employment relationship at Universities in the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Croatia. In the final part of the report, the method and procedure of obtaining the title and establishing the employment relationship of the teachers of the University of Belgrade and the University of Zagreb are comparatively analyzed through answers to the key questions:

1) How is the initiative for teacher advancement launched?

2) Who is responsible for making a decision within the selection procedure? (within this part of the analysis, both procedures are described in more detail and parallels are made in Croatian and Serbian legislation)

3) Does the teacher, upon receiving the title, base the employment relationship on a fixed or indefinite period?

You can find the report at the following link.

MASA is organizing a forum with the aim of starting a discussion on the possible reform of legal acts and university regulations

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Networks of academic solidarity and engagement (MASS) invites you to the forum on the occasion of our intention to start a broad discussion on the possible reform of legal acts and university regulations that regulate the manner, procedure and minimum conditions for obtaining a title and establishing a working relationship as a teacher at the University of Belgrade (and other universities in Serbia). The immediate reason for the reform of the procedures and conditions for elections to positions and the establishment of an employment relationship at the University of Belgrade are the increasingly frequent cases of elections in which various irregularities come to light. Many of these cases end up in public and in the courts, which causes damage to both individuals and the University of Belgrade. These problems often arise as a result of the vagueness and even contradictions of the procedures related to the selection to the profession. The goal of the possible reform would be to reduce vagueness, contradictions, abuses and damage caused to individuals, and thus to the University of Belgrade.

The forum will be held in Tuesday, 15.3.2022. year at 6 p.m. in Club Polet (Cetinjska 15, Belgrade).

Mountaineers:

  • Danilo Vuković, associate professor of the Faculty of Law
  • Vladimir Mikić, General Secretary of the BU Rectorate
  • Iva Draškić Vićanović, Dean of the Faculty of Philology

We will discuss the following topics:

1) Amendment of the Law on Higher Education and the rulebook regulating the method and procedure for obtaining the title of teacher at the University of Belgrade (key change - Ethical and disciplinary responsibility for the abuse of the selection process; mandatory explanation of the decisions of all participants (decision-makers) in the selection process in the profession), etc..

2) Amendment of the Law on Higher Education and the rulebook regulating the procedure for establishing a teacher's employment relationship at the University of Belgrade (key change - establishing a permanent employment relationship with the acquisition of a (first) teaching title)

3) Amendment of the rulebook regulating the minimum conditions for selection into teaching positions (key change – International recognition as a condition for promotion)

 

Support for Goran Marković

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Mreža akademske solidarnosti i angažovanosti (MASA) najoštrije osuđuje napade predstavnika aktuelne vlasti u Srbiji na našeg proslavljenog režisera, profesora emeritus Gorana Markovića. Kao predstavnici akademske zajednice posebno smo zgroženi nad činjenicom da je ovaj brutalni verbalni napad potekao od članice Univerziteta u Beogradu, profesorke Darije Kisić Tepavčević, trenutno na poziciji ministarke za rad, zapošljavanje, boračka i socijalna pitanja. Upravo ona bi morala da zna da kolegijalnost predstavlja jedno od osnovnih načela Kodeksa profesionalne etike Univerziteta u Beogradu, a koje je grubo prekršila svojom sramnom izjavom na društvenoj mreži Instagram.

Jedan od osnovnih motiva za formiranje naše organizacije, čiji je osnivački akt između ostalih potpisao i profesor Goran Marković, upravo je bila zaštita profesionalne etike i integriteta članova akademske zajednice. Od osnivanja naše organizacije ukazujemo na činjenicu da je sloboda javnog izražavanja mišljenja sve više na udaru nosilaca visokih državnih funkcija, sa ciljem omalovažavanja, ućutkivanja, pa i zastrašivanja pripadnika i pripadnica akademske zajednice.

Nažalost, ova konstatacija je danas aktuelnija nego ikada pre i vraća nas u neka prošla vremena kada su intelektualci javno sramoćeni, proganjani i zatvarani zbog svojih umetničkih dela ili stavova koje su iznosili u javnosti. Posle policijskog legitimisanja i nedavnih partijski ostrašćenih i neprofesionalnih uvreda koje je na račun Gorana Markovića izrekla ministarka u Vladi Republike Srbije Darija Kisić Tepavčević, ispod časti i dostojanstva lekarske struke, usledio je i sramotni tvit premijerke Ane Brnabić. Dok prva, kao epidemiolog, daje sebi za pravo da nekome postavlja „dijagnozu“, druga koristi zvanični tviter nalog kako bi pružila podršku opskurnim idejama o zidanju ludnica u koje bi se smestili neistomišljenici, sa profesorom Markovićem na čelu

Ostaje nam da se zapitamo kada će se sa verbalnog preći na fizičko zlostavljane kritički nastrojenih intelektualaca u Srbiji, kao što smo prethodnih nedelja imali prilike da vidimo na ulicama tokom protesta građana. Vređanje zdrave pameti od strane premijerke Vlade je nažalost postalo konstanta u Srbiji. Međutim, posebno je poražavajuće brukanje lekarske struke zarad partijskih interesa od strane ministarke Darije Kisić Tepavčević uz iznošenje uvredljive anamneze i dijagnoze van kodeksa lekarske etike. To je ujedno i sramota Medicinskog fakulteta Univerziteta u Beogradu koji je završila i zato smatramo da ne zaslužuje zvanje profesora. MASA traži i od Medicinskog fakulteta, i Lekarske komore Srbije i Srpskog lekarskog društva zvanično ograđivanje od navedene izjave Darije Kisić Tepavčević, kao i oduzimanje licence dotičnoj od strane Lekarske komore Srbije.

Javnom linču našeg proslavljenog reditelja, da podsetimo, prethodilo je nakon brojnih sramotnih pritisaka predsednice UO Filmskog centra Srbije Jelene Trivan i poništavanje konkursa za sufinansiranje filmova eminentnih domaćih reditelja na kome je stručna komisija, između ostalih kandidata, predložila da se finansijski podrži film Gorana Markovića. Navedeno predstavlja atak na principe čestitosti, javnost i transparentnosti koje MASA zagovara u akademskoj zajednici i neguje u svom radu. Još opasnije međutim je to što se ovim narušavaju univerzalne vrednosti na kojima počiva svako demokratsko društvo u svetu, uz dostojanstvo profesije koje predstavaljaju. Bez kritike, poput one koje u svojim metaforama britko iznosi Goran Marković nema ni razvoja, ni naučnog ni društvenog. Što pre to shvate predstavnici vlasti u Srbiji biće im lakše da prihvate činjenicu da kritike neće prestati, ni dok su oni vlast ni kada dođe neka druga vlast a da će svaki pritisak samo rezultovati sve većim otporom, poput onog koji se proteklih nedelja prelio na ulice Srbije bez obzira na preduzete mere zastrašivanja javnosti.

Report on the activities of MAS on the occasion of the privatization of the Jaroslav Cherny Institute

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During the previous months, the network of academic solidarity and engagement actively participated in a series of activities related to the disputed privatization of the Institute for Water Management "Jaroslav Černi". Together with several organizations (Initiative Right to Water, Regulatory Institute for Renewable Energy and the Environment - RERI, Organization for the Preservation of Nature and Animals - OSNA) MASA carried out a series of activities on this issue. Among them we highlight:

Press conference CURRENT PROBLEM: Stop the privatization of the "Jaroslav Černi" institute. The press conference was held on November 1, 2021 in the Great Hall of the Media Center. At the conference, an appeal was presented as well as arguments for stopping this process and protecting the institute. One of the main goals was to point out that quality scientific analyzes and professional solutions in the field of water management are of inestimable importance for the whole society, bearing in mind the growing danger of natural phenomena, climate change (droughts and floods) and human negligence (water pollution , air and soil). As well as the fact that, combined with uncontrolled exploitation, illegal privatizations, theft of water and other natural resources, these dangers can cause a disaster.

It was pointed out that a prerequisite for the preservation and sustainable management of water resources, with respect for human rights in that area, are professional organizations with a proven reputation, professional integrity, business ethics, as well as independent experts who offer professionally correct and sustainable solutions.

They spoke at the conference:

  • Olga Nikolić, Network for Academic Solidarity and Engagement (MASA)
  • Iva Marković, Right to Water initiative
  • Jovan Rajić, Regulatory Institute for Renewable Energy and the Environment (RERI)
  • Branislav Božović, hydrogeologist - National Ecological Association (NEA)
  • Vesna Jakovljević, Organization for the Conservation of Nature and Animals (OSNA)

Professional discussion CURRENT PROBLEM: Privatization of the Institute "Jaroslav Černi" was held online (Zoom) on November 4, 2021. One of the main reasons for starting professional discussions is the lack of information in the public about why this institute should or should not be privatized, considering the activities it performs and considering the possible consequences of this privatization for society, especially related to water management and environmental care. Some of the questions raised during the discussion were: Why is "Jaroslav Černi" significant? Should it be declared an institute of strategic interest for the Republic of Serbia? What would we potentially lose as a society, and what would we gain through privatization? Is there any reason to worry that privatization would put this important institute at the service of private, instead of public interest? These were just some of the questions raised in the discussion. The following participated in the discussion: Prof. Dr. Čedo Maksimović, Prof. Dr. Zoran Stevanović, Dr. Milica Tomašević, Dipl. Eng. Veljko Dimitrijevic. The discussion was moderated by fat. philosophy Olga Nikolic.

You can watch the recording of the discussion here

In addition to the above, MASA, in cooperation with the aforementioned organizations, launched a petition signed by over 25,000 citizens. A group of organizations submitted a petition to the Ministry of Economy opposing the controversial privatization of the "Jaroslav Černi" Institute for Water Management.

Also, it was sent appeal to the population, especially the professional and academic public, to oppose privatization and stand up in defense of the public interest, water quality and natural resources for the sustainable future of the public health of the population of Serbia.

Finally, letters were sent to the competent institutions about the immediate suspension of the privatization of the Jaroslav Černa Institute: to the Government of the Republic of Serbia - Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development - Minister Branko Ružići and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development. The text of the petition and, at that moment, 22,347 online signatures of citizens were also submitted in the attachment of the letter.

Appeal for the suspension of the privatization of the Jaroslav Černy Institute

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During the month of October, MASA participated in several activities related to the invitation issued by the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Serbia for the sale of the capital of the Institute for Water Management "Jaroslav Černi" AD, which the Right to Water initiative considers to be an unacceptable move considering the significance and importance of the independence of such an institution for the future of water quality, natural resources and health protection of the population of Serbia.
One of the activities referred to the appeal of the Right to Water organization to the professional and academic public to oppose privatization and stand up in defense of the public interest, water quality and natural resources for the sustainable future of the public health of the population of Serbia.
We invite you to join us to raise our voices together and appeal against this harmful process, for the benefit of the whole society.


Urgently stop the privatization of the Jaroslav Černy Institute!

Quality scientific analyzes and professional solutions in the field of water management are of inestimable importance for the whole society, bearing in mind the growing danger of natural phenomena, climate change (drought and floods) and human negligence (water, air and soil pollution). Combined with uncontrolled exploitation, illegal privatizations, and theft of water and other natural resources, these dangers can cause disaster.
A high percentage of water supply systems in Serbia have water that does not meet drinking standards, more than a third of water is lost in the distribution network, and a high percentage of the population, especially in suburban and rural areas, does not have access to healthy drinking water at all. Urban and industrial waste water without purification pollutes waterways. In terms of the degree and quality of wastewater treatment, Serbia is at the bottom in Europe, while at the same time the national top, for future wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) conditions the application of obsolete, dirty technologies and the hiring of a well-known contractor for the execution of most of these works.
A prerequisite for the preservation and sustainable management of water assets with respect for human rights in that area are professional organizations with a proven reputation, professional integrity, business ethics, as well as independent experts who offer professionally correct and sustainable solutions. They should work impartially, in conditions without pressure and without behind-the-scenes interference, non-transparent criteria and other elements of corruption on a wider scale. Unfortunately, we are witnessing that the recently submitted expert opinions of the leading scientific institutions about the projects that are currently being worked on are being ignored.

A large number of the most important hydrotechnical facilities and water management systems in the former Yugoslavia, as well as in a large number of countries in the world, were built in the previous decades with the help of experts from the "Jaroslav Černi" Institute (IJČ) in cooperation with leading scientific institutions and recognized experts in the country.
In the last few years, we have witnessed a drastic decline in the quality of infrastructure systems, the quality of the environment, especially water and air. This is largely caused by the collapse of the independence and professional level of the leading planning and design institutions and organizations, which are forced to work according to dictates, based on professionally unconfirmed criteria. State-funded jobs are awarded only to "eligible" or anonymous newly formed organizations, which replace vague qualifications with a high degree of servility. Such a fate, in the last few years, has not escaped even the IJČ, which recently approved several expertly unacceptable solutions, an example of which is the construction at the protected Maki source of drinking water.

Several projects of dubious purpose are currently being worked on at IJČ. An example is the recycling of the waste water treatment plant (WWTP) project for Belgrade in Veliki Selo, based on obsolete, outdated and overpriced, dirty technology. Instead of working with modern, ecologically superior, energy efficient, far cheaper, and for public health much better technologies, the decision makers non-transparently, illegally, took upon themselves the choice of technologies, which is the optimization job of professional designers and is not the same for all cities. Also, by directly imposing one contractor, the citizens of Serbia will have to pay back many times larger amounts of loans through public budgets. The initial estimated value of the necessary investments in the sewage system and WWTP for all cities in Serbia by the expert group funded by the EU, has drastically increased, without the necessary expert analysis, so that it has already reached 4 to 5 times the amount. For the purposes of daily politics, this amount is further arbitrarily increased, so that "investments in ecology" sound as impressive as possible.

The initial price of the privatization of IJČ is very shocking. For the sake of comparison, about 250 million euros are planned to be allocated for the National Stadium (also in the area of the source of drinking water in Surčinsko polje), and the most important public scientific institute in the field of water management is offered for "sale" for 2.5 million euros (1% investments for the stadium).
We fear that this privatization, until recently one of the few remaining unbiased institutions, opens up space for IJČ to be forced to develop and sign projects and solutions that an unbiased profession with its own integrity and professional ethics would never accept under regular circumstances and legal procedures.
Privatization will not solve the accumulated problems of urban water infrastructure, water management, environment, or the IJČ itself, but will complicate them many times over. Instead of public interest, expert knowledge will be put to the function of private profit, apparently of a non-transparent owner, from whom even less well-known real decision-makers are hiding. This policy will further erode the integrity of the profession and threaten the right of all residents to healthy drinking water and the environment.

The people of Serbia do not deserve it and do not accept it. The stake is too high and dangerous in many ways for several generations to come. On the basis of the arguments presented above, we request that the privatization process of the Jaroslav Černi Institute be suspended and that the decision-makers in Serbia create the conditions for the institute to operate under regular market conditions in which investments in water/water management systems are realized in accordance with the real needs and economic possibilities of society. , and they spend with the respected rules of the profession and business ethics. In this way, the Institute should continue to work unhindered, for the benefit of the public good and the interests of the citizens of Serbia.

Announcement of MASA regarding the competition of the Provincial Secretariat for financing short-term research projects

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Nastavlja se netransparentno finansiranje projekata od strane Pokrajinskog sekretarijata za visoko obrazovanje i naučno istraživačku delatnost AP Vojvodine

Mreža akademske solidarnosti i angažovanosti od svog osnivanja prati aktivnosti Pokrajinskog sekretarijata za visoko obrazovanje i naučno istraživačku delatnost (skr. Pokrajinski sekretarijat), a naročito konkurse za finansiranje istraživačkih projekata visokoškolskih institucija. U prethodne dve godine, MASA je uputila dva saopštenja u vezi sa netransparentnošću konkursa za finansiranje kratkoročnih istraživačkih projekata visokoškolskih institucija i jednom prilikom pohvalila izvestan napredak koji je učinjen u transparentnosti objavljivanja rezultata istoimenog konkursa.

Dvadeset šestog novembra 2021. godine Pokrajinski sekretarijat objavio je rezultate konkursa za (su)finansiranje projekata od značaja za razvoj naučnoistraživačke delatnosti AP Vojvodine za projektni ciklus 2021-2024. U odnosu na konkurse za finansiranje kratkoročnih projekata koje je do sada pratila MASA, primetan je napor da se u samom tekst konkursa konkretnije definišu kriterijumi bodovanja projekata, što je bio jedan od zahteva MASE u prethodnim obraćanjima Pokrajinskom sekretarijatu. Ipak, smatramo da je jedan od definisanih kriterijuma – značaj predloga projekta za razvoj naučnoistraživačke delatnosti AP Vojvodine definisan veoma uopšteno, bez specifikovanja tema koje bi zavredele takav poseban značaj. Po ovom kriterijumu projektima se može dodeliti do 9 bodova, čime se ostavlja prostor za provizorno dodeljivanje značajnog broja bodova čime se može uticati na finalni ishod evaluacije. Uz to, tekst konkursa koji definiše da „odluku o prihvatanju projekata donosi pokrajinski sekretar imajući u vidu mišljenje stručnih komisija“ formalno i dalje ostavlja prostor da se sredstva dodele mimo jasno definisanih kriterijuma izvrsnosti.

Glavni izvor netransparentnosti rezultata navedenog konkursa i dalje leži u dve stvari:

a) sve projekte unutar naučnih oblasti recenziraju stručne komisije za datu oblast koje se sastoje od tri do četiri člana. Izvesno je da takva komisija, bez obzira na naučne kompetencije u sopstvenoj oblasti, ne može biti kompetentna za sve uže oblasti iz kojih dolaze predlozi projekata. Uz to, nije izbegnuta mogućnost konflikta interesa onda kada članovi stručne komisije dolaze iz iste institucije kao i predlagači projekata. Podsećamo da je predlog MASE bio da stručne komisije samo biraju recenzente projekata, ali da ih same ne vrednuju, kao i da se radi umanjivanja konflikta interesa potenciraju recenzenti iz institucija izvan AP Vojvodive.

b) rezultati konkursa objavljeni su samo u obliku ukupnog broja bodova i ukupne ocene Stručne komisije, što i dalje ostavlja prostor za sumnje u pogledu objektivnosti vrednovanja. Naime, iz objavljenih rezultata konkursa nije vidljivo koliko bodova su predlozi projekata dobili po pojedinačnim kriterijumima, pri čemu je najznačajnije bilo istaći broj bodova za ocenu predloga projekta (koja se sastoji iz ocena naučno tehnološke izvrsnosti, očekivanog uticaja i implementacije) i ocenu značaja predloga projekta za razvoj naučnoistraživačke delatnosti AP Vojvodine.

Konačno, prilikom objavljivanja rezultata projekta nadležni iz Pokrajinskog sekretarijata nisu održali dobru praksu koju su usvojili na prošlogodišnjem konkursu za kratkoročne projekte, a na kojoj je institirala MASA, da se svi rukovodioci predloženih projekata obaveste emailom o rezultatima projekta. Rezultati su okačeni na sajt Pokrajinskog sekretarijata bez upućivanja zainteresovanih strana na to da su objavljeni. Ipak, pohvalno je to što je ovaj put zbirne rezultate evaluacije sa celokupnom listom (odobrenih i neodobrenih) projekata moguće pronaći na stranici datog konkursa, što ranijih godina nije bio slučaj.

Support for MASE professors and students of Bosphorus University

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Network of Academic Solidarity and Engagement (MASA) is strongly supporting the attempts of teachers and students from the Bosphorus University to defend university autonomy and to resist the government and president of Turkey's attempts to devastate basic democratic and academic principles. Also, we strongly condemn various decisions and acts of the government and president of Turkey which lead to arrest and imprisonment of students, presence of uniformed police stationed with machine guns and riot intervention vehicles around the campus and within the campus, depriving students right to education , dismissing of full time professors and other valuable lecturers, imposing government obedient rectors, treating Senate and Executive Board members with disrespect... We should emphasize that Bosphorus University is not the first to suffer from this authoritarian and antidemocratic policy, this is also affecting all public universities in Turkey. Also, many universities around the world today face similar anti-democratic attacks launched by authoritarian and/or neoliberal governments. The struggle of our colleagues and students from the Bosphorus University is a part of the international struggle for university autonomy and democracy.

The Network of Academic Solidarity and Engagement (MASA) strongly supports the attempts of teachers and students from Bosphorus University to defend the autonomy of the university and to resist the attempts of the government and president of Turkey to devastate basic democratic and academic principles. Also, we strongly condemn the various decisions and actions of the government and the president of Turkey that lead to the arrest and imprisonment of students, the presence of uniformed police stationed with machine guns and intervention vehicles in the surroundings and inside the campus, the denial of students' right to education, the dismissal of regular professors and other valuable lecturers, the imposition government-obedient rectors, disrespect for members of the Senate and the Executive Board... It should also be emphasized that Bosphorus University is not the first to suffer from authoritarian and anti-democratic policies, but that this also applies to all state universities in Turkey. Also, many universities around the world today face similar anti-democratic attacks launched by authoritarian and/or neoliberal governments. The struggle of our colleagues and students from Bosphorus University is part of the international struggle for university autonomy and democracy.

Open letter of MASE to the editor-in-chief of RTS

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Draganu Bujoševiću, generalnom direktoru RTS-a

Poštovani g. Bujoševiću,
Obraćamo Vam se jer verujemo da ste saglasni da živimo u vreme krize autoriteta, kada se sve i svako dovodi u pitanje, kada se često prevaranti i šarlatani dovode u istu ravan sa ljudima od struke i znanja. Mreža akademske solidarnosti i angažovanosti se upravo zalaže za promovisanje struke kao nezaobilaznog činioca u donošenju odluka iz domena javnih politika i smatra da se one o pitanjima za koje postoje naučni i stručni autoriteti ne smeju donositi unutar zatvorenih političkih krugova.

S druge strane, često se u našoj javnosti stiče utisak da struka i nauka ćute, da je akademska zajednica nema kada su u pitanju teme od javnog interesa. I mada i mi smatramo da bi naša akademska i stručna javnost morale da budu daleko glasnije, želimo da sa Vama podelimo bojazan da se u našem društvu namerno stvara utisak o njihovom ćutanju.

Jer, kako drugačije objasniti muk naših medija, i to gotovo svih elektronskih medija sa javnom frekvencijom, u pogledu činjenice da je naša najpozvanija i najstručnija akademska institucija, Građevinski fakultet Univerziteta u Beogradu, podneo primedbe na nacrt verovatno najvećeg investicionog projekta u zemlji, beogradskog metroa, u kojima između ostalog stoji da predloženi plan nije dobar, da će efekti izgradnje metroa na smanjenje saobraćajnih problema biti zanemarljivi, a troškovi enormni.

O tome da je najstarija i najuglednija naučna i stručna institucija u oblasti građevinarstva na Balkanu dala svoj stav po ključnom pitanju za budućnost Beograda, naša javnost nije obaveštena. Građani Srbije ne znaju da se ovako nešto dogodilo, što omogućava onima koji vrše javne funkcije da ignorišu mišljenje struke. A u tome im, nažalost, ključnu podršku daju srpski mediji.

Medicinski fakultet Univerziteta u Beogradu, opet kao institucija, izašao je pred javnost Srbije i ukazao na značaj vakcinacije za zdravlje našeg stanovništva. I pored toga, srpski mediji u pogledu vakcinacije redovno prostor daju onima koji stručnoj zajednici ne pripadaju, niti ih ona prepoznaje kao sagovornike. Dakle, mi pred sobom imamo jasan primer, primer koji je koštao možda hiljade ljudskih života, da su srpski mediji, i to ponovo gotovo svi oni koji imaju nacionalne frekvencije, svesno izabrali šarlatane, nadrilekare i neznalice, njima dali prostor i na njih usmerili pažnju građana Srbije, dok za našu nauku i struku, nauku i struku koje nisu ćutale i nisu se krile, ti mediji jednostavno nisu imali vremena.

Konačno, kada je u pitanju kontroverzni projekat rudnika u Jadru, iza koga stoji multinacionalna korporacija Rio Tinto, pod okriljem SANU je održan naučni skup sa koga su svi najodgovorniji srpski akademici poslali poruku, poruku koja je pretočena u pismo Ministarstvu rudarstva i energetike koje su ti akademici i potpisali, a u kome se jasno navodi da bi ovakav rudnik naneo velike i nepopravljive štete ne samo kraju u kojem bi bio otvoren, nego i celoj Srbiji.

Ono u šta mi možemo da se uverimo je da dok sve srpske televizije sa javnom frekvencijom, uključujući i onu na čijem ste čelu, ćute o tome šta su na temu rudnika u Jadru rekle najstručnije i najumnije glave koje Srbija ima u oblasti fizičke metalurgije, hemije, biologije i ekologije, mi sa malih ekrana možemo da gledamo plaćene poruke Rio Tinta u kojima nas ta korporacija ubeđuje o svojim dobrim i iskrenim namerama.
Mi moramo ovim putem da Vam postavimo pitanje da li Vaša kuća omogućava ostvarivanje javnog interesa u oblasti javnog informisanja kada ne pozove predstavnike Građevinskog fakulteta da obrazlože stav ove institucije prema predloženom planu beogradskog metroa?

Da li, uvaženi g. Bujoševiću, ignorisanje nedvosmislenog stava najstručnijih akademika u oblasti metalurgije, hemije i ekologije u vezi sa rudnikom u Jadru predstavlja istinito, blagovremeno, potpuno, nepristrasno i profesionalno informisanje građana i omogućavanje slobodnog formiranja njihovog mišljenja, naročito ako se u obzir uzme očigledna negadljivost na novac za taj projekat zainteresovane multinacionalne korporacije, čije reklame uredno puštate u etar.

Kakva je odgovornost srpskih medija i onih koji utiču na njihovu uređivačku politiku za katastrofalno stanje kada je u pitanju vakcinacija građana Srbije, koji su nepoverenje prema vakcinaciji izgradili pre svega na porukama koje im se svakodnevno nude sa televizija sa nacionalnom frekvencijom sada već gotovo čitavu deceniju.

Imajući u vidu sve navedeno, Mreža akademske solidarnosti i angažovanosti zahteva od Vas i kuće koju vodite, da saglasno obavezama koje su vam propisane Zakonom o javnim medijskim servisima, omogućite u najskorijem vremenu prostor na Prvom programu RTS za iznošenje stavova akademske i stručne javnosti i to upravo po ovim pitanjima po kojima je njen stav tako nedvosmisleno jasno zauzet, da su iza njega stale i same institucije, a ne samo pozvani pojedinci. Uz to, smatramo da je neophodno, da svoj program učinite dostupnim za otvaranje javne rasprave o evidentnom ignorisanju naše akademske i stručne javnosti od strane kako srpskih vlasti, tako i naših medija. Pomozite nam da glas naše struke i nauke dođe do građana koji plaćaju i nas, ali i vas. Kada akademska i stručna javnost ćute, one time pokazuju nepoštovanje prema onima zbog kojih postoje i koji ih izdržavaju. Verujemo da ćete se složiti da isto važi i za javni medijski servis koji svojim gledaocima uskraćuje ono što bi građani morali da čuju. Zato Vam mi stojimo na raspolaganju kao saveznici da ovakvo stanje stvari ispravimo.

S poštovanjem,
Network of academic solidarity and engagement

MASA appeals to provide conditions for the return of students to the faculties

Posted on by MASS in News

In a situation where we are starting another academic year at universities across the country in a virtual environment due to the large number of fellow citizens infected with the new virus COVID-19, the Network of Academic Solidarity and Engagement (MASA) with great concern invites all key actors to a joint agreement to ensure safe conditions for the return of classes to amphitheatres and classrooms. We point to the fact that a large number of Serbian citizens are still not effectively protected from the virus, and we are particularly concerned that a large number of students and educators have not yet made the decision to get vaccinated. MASA appeals to all academic citizens to refrain from spreading false and unverified theories. Also, we invite the academic community to start a dialogue in which expert opinions would be heard and all possible doubts and doubts that our students and colleagues have regarding the necessary immunization would be answered. 

No matter how well some faculties have organized themselves and managed during the previous 18 months to achieve undoubted progress in teaching in an online environment, we believe that direct contact between teachers and students is irreplaceable and necessary in order not to further derogate the education system and the level of acquired knowledge. our students. Thanks to the availability of vaccines today, it is possible to ensure direct contact between teachers and students and, to the greatest extent possible, avoid online teaching, especially when it comes to practical exercises. That is why MASA welcomes the steps taken independently by individual faculties in this regard, including the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Belgrade.

However, it is necessary that the teaching framework be as uniform as possible at all universities and faculties in Serbia, so that everyone can be sure that we are acting in accordance with the law and that no participant in the educational process will be unfairly harmed. Therefore, it is necessary for the relevant ministry to offer a framework for the actions of universities and faculties, which is in accordance with the current regulations on the protection of the population from infectious diseases, and at the same time does not encroach on the guaranteed autonomy of universities. Our regulations allow the limitation of certain rights in order to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, but in order to remove doubts that have existed in the public since the beginning of the pandemic, it is important to give clear and precise instructions.

Faculties will, of course, play a key role in the implementation of the measures recommended by the relevant ministry in agreement with the universities. We do not expect faculties to take on the role of inspection services, but to ensure, in accordance with their educational function, together with students, that the faculties and the university are a safe place for everyone.

In accordance with the above, MASA also appeals to all political and other actors to refrain from criticizing decisions and actions related to the organization of teaching at faculties in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially from extreme positions, whether they are opponents or advocates of the need for the vaccination of our students. We especially invite the Crisis Staff for the Suppression of the Infectious Disease COVID-19 as the most responsible authority to finally start communicating with the public in a clear and transparent manner. The previous messages sent by that body to the public are confusing and contradictory, and seem calculated to further antagonize the already divided public in Serbia.

MASA appeals to the academic community to unite as soon as possible on the issue of giving priority to direct teaching in the classroom while respecting epidemiological rules and ethics, which means mass vaccination and mass testing. We believe that the basic duty of the academic community is to advocate for the preservation and improvement of the quality of education at all levels, while nurturing the scientific approach and the right of every member of the academic community to critical thinking based on arguments and evidence.