Repeal the regulation reducing scientific work to 12 percent

Professors University in Belgrade they submitted an open letter on Wednesday To the Government of Serbia by which they request the annulment of the Regulation on the amendment of the Regulation on the norms and standards of university working conditions and faculty, which foresees the reduction of hours of scientific work to 12 percent.

Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, Oliver Tošković, told N1 that they are addressing the Prime Minister directly Gyuru Matsutou, who is also a professor at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Belgrade.

"We look back at the harmful Decree of the previous ministry of the same government, which devastates education in Serbia. Not only are the rights of the individual collapsing, but also the purpose of higher education. Half of our work at the University is teaching, and half is scientific work. The decree reduced that half to 12 percent, and thus our scientific work becomes invisible," said Tošković.

According to him, the Decree devastates higher education for all future generations, by destroying science, which is why professors look at the Decree as "a new canopy" hanging over higher education.

"We expect the Decree to be repealed and put out of force. It is clear to us that the Decree was not enacted to change anything, but as revenge against us," stated Tošković.

Initiative to assess the constitutionality of the Regulation

In mid-April, the University of Belgrade submitted to the Constitutional Court the Initiative for the evaluation of the constitutionality and legality of the aforementioned regulation, which was signed by the deans of all faculties of the University of Belgrade.

It was then announced that the initiative proposes the adoption of two decisions and one decision: a decision on initiating the procedure for assessing the constitutionality and legality of the decree and a decision on the suspension of the execution of individual acts and actions undertaken on the basis of the contested decree until the final decision of the Constitutional Court.

It was stated that a decision is also being proposed, which establishes that the said decree is not in accordance with the Law on Government, the Law on Higher Education, confirmed international treaties and generally accepted rules of international law and the Constitution.

The explanation states that the decree is unconstitutional and illegal in its entirety, among other things, due to violations of the Law on Government, violation of the procedure during the adoption of the decree, violation of the constitutional principle of the rule of law and the principle of legal certainty, violation of the constitutional principle of university autonomy and academic freedom, and violation of the Law on Higher Education.

In particular, it was pointed out that the implementation of the contested regulation in its entirety can cause "irreversible adverse consequences for the functioning of higher education institutions and the rights of employed teachers".

SANU: Urgently repeal the Regulation

Before that initiative, the Committee for Higher Education and the Committee for Science of SANA sent a request to the Government of Serbia to immediately repeal the aforementioned regulation.

In the letter published at the end of May, it was stated that with the above-mentioned decree, the Government, which was then in a technical mandate, without adequate professional, public discussion and consultation of all relevant bodies in the field of higher education, "dramatically changed the existing arrangement of the work of employed teachers and associates and directly threatened accreditation for scientific research work, accreditation for the implementation of teaching at doctoral studies and the implementation of current scientific projects, as well as the development of young people of universities and faculties in Serbia".

It was pointed out that the new regulation of higher education will not contribute to its quality, but will "completely shake the foundations of higher education, which forms the backbone of any society that develops and progresses in a sustainable way."

"The said Regulation, except that it changes the decades-long arrangement of higher education in our society and introduces standards and norms that are not a feature of renowned universities, but are more appropriate for higher education and colleges, will have more direct negative consequences for higher education, employed teachers and associates of universities and faculties, but also direct and indirect financial consequences for faculties and society as a whole", SANA warned at the time.