On Thursday 21.12.2023. an event was held to welcome new members of the Network of Academic Solidarity and Engagement - MASA. The participants of the gathering were addressed by the members of the MASE Advisory and Coordination Board, academician prof. dr. Vladica Cvetković, prof. Dr. Snježana Milivojević, Assoc. Dr. Bojan Bodroža and Prof. Dr. Dalibor Petrović.
Dalibor Petrović, in his capacity as the president of KO MASA, in his opening address referred to the current events in the scientific and educational area of Serbia, but also to the political and social environment in which academic and scientific activity takes place in Serbia. Accordingly, he emphasized the importance of the activities of an organization such as MASA, after which he briefly recalled the most significant activities of this organization in the past two years.
Snježana Milivojević stated that the public's expectations from the University are still very high, therefore we should use all our intellectual resources to get involved in the formation of a new and better society. We must be more vocal on many issues, among other things how to democratize society anew since clear signs of the reestablishment of autocratic patterns of political action are noticeable. According to Professor Milivojević, the university's silence on these issues is the loudest. In addition, she referred to the structural changes that must be implemented at the university, which lead to its passivation.
Bishop Cvetković called for a conversation and an exchange of ideas and opinions. He briefly referred to previously stated claims by other participants and the general situation at the University and in society. He highlighted why activism is important and why we need to create a bigger picture in order to bring about change.
Bojana Bodroža continued on the importance of activism and invited all those present to take an active part in the activities of MASE. She briefly referred to the work of the group for Dignified Work in Science and concluded that this group made a significant contribution to solving the problem of the exclusion of university teachers from the former project and now institutional funding.
After the introductory speeches, the new members of MASE highlighted the problems they face within their institutions, among which the passivity of younger colleagues and constructive conformity were most often identified. In addition, the participants discussed the possibilities for increasing the capacity of the network and the action plan for the next year. Participants agreed that MASA gives academics the opportunity to speak their minds knowing that, regardless of the consequences, they will have the full support of members.
The main conclusion of the very lively and fruitful discussion was the opinion on the importance of continuing the activity of MASA and the activation of its members through the existing working groups. Accordingly, in the coming months, action plans will be made for action in the coming year with the aim of pointing out the problems that the academic community is facing, but also trying to point out the ways to overcome them in the following period.
