Employees at Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš they estimated that Ministry of Science through the process of reaccreditation of scientific research activities, it exerts institutional and political pressure on that higher education institution.
As they stated, after several months of pressure from the Ministry of Education, there was also a threat that the scientific research status of the faculty could be called into question.
The Faculty of Philosophy submitted the request for reaccreditation of the scientific research organization back in December 2024, while the supplement to the request was submitted in June 2025. Employees point out that the Ministry of Science is only now asking for a completely new, revised request to be submitted.
Given that almost two years have passed since the first submission of the request, employees are asking why the procedure was not completed within the legal deadline of 90 days, writes FoNet.
They consider the request to harmonize the documentation with the current legal, organizational, personnel and scientific research situation to be particularly problematic, since it also refers to the separation of the Department of History, Serbian Studies and Russian Language and Literature.
The announcement also refers to the decision of the Administrative Court from June 8 this year, which temporarily suspended the decisions related to the work permit of the Faculty of Serbian Studies, as well as the removal of eight study programs from the work permit of the Faculty of Philosophy.
Because of this, the employees believe that the faculty is now required to act in the process of scientific reaccreditation as if the aforementioned changes had already been legally implemented, even though their implementation was temporarily suspended by the decision of the Administrative Court. They add that all eight study programs are still in the valid license for the Faculty of Philosophy, which is why their delimitation in the manner required by the Ministry would not be in accordance with the legal situation determined by the court decision.
The employees see the Ministry of Science's actions as a continuation of months-long pressure on the faculty. According to their statements, measures were previously taken that included the separation of three departments, the confiscation of study programs and budgetary positions, as well as the denial of funds for salaries and regular functioning of the institution.
They do not agree to political obedience
Employees warn that such an approach could mean that an institution that does not agree to political obedience, apart from teaching and funding, could also be threatened with its scientific research status. They believe that this would represent a dangerous precedent for universities and scientific institutions in Serbia, because the accreditation procedure could turn into a mechanism of political control over science.
That is why they demand that the re-accreditation procedure be completed urgently based on the already submitted request, as well as that the Ministry publicly explain why the procedure was not completed within the deadline provided by law. They ask the authorities to respect the temporary measures of the Administrative Court and respect the currently valid legal situation.
Among their demands are the cessation of the use of accreditation procedures as a means of institutional and political pressure, as well as respect for the autonomy of the University of Niš and the Faculty of Philosophy.
Employees said that scientific reaccreditation must not serve as a political instrument or as a way of punishing institutions that stood by students and academic autonomy.
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