The Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy in Niš, Vladimir Jovanović, stated today that the higher education institution has initiated a dispute in the Administrative Court against the decision to issue a work permit to the Faculty of Serbian Studies and the decision to amend the work permit of the Faculty of Philosophy.
Jovanović recalled that the Government of Serbia passed a resolution on March 28 granting a work permit to the Faculty of Serbian Studies, followed on April 8 by a cause-and-effect act involving the amendment of the work permit of the Faculty of Philosophy, which deletes eight programs from the departments of Serbian studies, Russian language and literature, and history.
“That which bears the hallmark of the Faculty of Philosophy, which bears the hallmark of our intellectual property, that which we have created—we would not want to leave it to someone else. By a simple stroke of a pen, a quarter of the Faculty of Philosophy was supposed to be taken away and turned into a new institution called the Faculty of Serbian Studies,” Jovanović said at a press conference.
He emphasized that the Faculty of Philosophy has nothing against the “name and essence of the Faculty of Serbian Studies.”
“We cannot oppose the decision of the Government of Serbia to form new faculties. However, we believe that this was not done in accordance with regulations and legal procedures. This is a kind of precedent,” says Jovanović.
According to him, the amendment of the work permit, from which eight programs of the Faculty of Philosophy are deleted, does not automatically mean that at that moment the faculty has an obligation to abolish all activities related to those programs.
“The Faculty of Philosophy is obliged to realize the remainder of those programs over the next year, that is, it has the right to continue activities in the realization of those study programs for the next year,” said Jovanović.
He also states that no change has occurred at the Faculty of Philosophy, except for the anxiety that exists among teachers and students.
“All activities are taking place as usual. I gave that order for the simple reason that I did not receive any other instruction on what we should do at this moment to align with the decision on the amendment of the work permit,” said Jovanović.
According to him, the Faculty of Philosophy continues to behave as if there will be entrance exams in the departments for Serbian studies, Russian language and literature, and history.
He added that entrance exam commissions have been formed and entrance exams will be prepared.
“In order for the Faculty of Serbian Studies to begin enrolling students, it is first necessary for their statute to receive the consent of the statutory commission of the University of Niš, and after that, the Council of the University of Niš must also give consent to the statute,” stated Jovanović.
He pointed out that there is unity not only within the rector’s team but also more broadly at the University of Niš regarding the fate of the Faculty of Philosophy.
He said that the Faculty of Philosophy received requests from the acting dean of the Faculty of Serbian Studies, who is also a teacher at the Faculty of Philosophy, to hand over the teachers’ employment contracts and student files.
“I have not received the slightest guideline on how to do that. I wonder if I am allowed to and why I would do it at this moment or ever. This is truly a situation that contributes to the absurdity of this entire process,” said Jovanović.
According to him, professors of the Faculty of Philosophy are under great pressure due to the new situation.
“We have a truly unusual, difficult, complicated, schizophrenic situation. We have teachers who are still teachers of the Faculty of Philosophy, and who are declared as future teachers of the Faculty of Serbian Studies, without having any formal proof that they are at the Faculty of Serbian Studies,” said Jovanović.
Lawyer Jovan Rajić, whose law firm represents the Faculty of Philosophy in the dispute before the Administrative Court, emphasized at the press conference that he is “astonished” by how much procedures and laws were violated in the case of the formation of the Faculty of Serbian Studies and the amendment of the work of the Faculty of Philosophy.
“This operation—and I call it an operation because it is not just about one act, but a whole series of acts—threatens to become a dangerous legal precedent. If this passes in this way, it opens the possibility for a similar story to be repeated with other faculties at state universities across Serbia. This is a trial balloon for our society and judiciary,” Rajić said.
He stated that the Administrative Court has been asked to annul the work permit issued to the new faculty and the amended work permit of the Faculty of Philosophy.
“Given that the Administrative Court decides within an average of five to six years, we have requested a so-called temporary measure, which in the Law on Administrative Disputes is called a stay of execution of the decision,” Rajić explained.
According to him, the temporary measure requested that the Administrative Court, within eight days (the legal deadline), suspend the application of the permit given to the newly founded faculty and the amendment of the permit for the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Niš, until the final decision on the legality of those acts.
He said that they have strong legal arguments and evidence that the decisions on the formation of the Faculty of Serbian Studies and the amendment of the work of the Faculty of Philosophy were made by unauthorized bodies.
MORE TOPICS:
Source: Beta, Photo: Radule Perisic / ATAImages