A total of 85 students have withdrawn from the faculties of the University of Belgrade by June 15, official data from the UB information system shows, writes the Danas newspaper.
The previous status report was done at the end of May, when the data was submitted to the Ministry of Education in response to a parliamentary question from a member of parliament, who requested data on the number of withdrawn students – at that time there were 74 (most from the Faculty of Law, 13, and the Faculty of Medicine, 10).
According to the Danas article, the University of Belgrade clarifies that these statistics do not deviate from previous years and that June, as well as September and October, are months when the largest number of students usually withdraw.
“An increased number of withdrawals typically occurs in June after entrance exams, and in September and October after some students fail to meet the requirements for enrollment in the next academic year and perhaps transfer to private higher education institutions. There is no obligation for an official withdrawal, which implies withdrawing documents from the faculty, for a student to transfer to another faculty. Students have their original high school graduation documents, copies of which they can certify with a notary and enroll in another faculty, while still being registered as students at the faculty they previously enrolled in. However, if they want their passed exams from the University of Belgrade faculty to be recognized, they must officially request a withdrawal certificate from their home faculty and a list of passed exams,” explain the University.
Official statistics also state that in the previous 2023/24 academic year, there were 90,571 active students at the faculties within the UB, while in the current 2024/5 academic year there are 89,566.
This data is before the blockades began, and regarding the difference of about 1,000 students who have “disappeared” in the meantime, it is assumed that some students graduated, and a number did not renew their enrollment.
But even if 1,000 students withdrew, it would hardly be called an exodus, which Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić claims occurred due to student blockades.
According to Danas, Vučić reiterated in yesterday’s appearance on TV Prva that an exodus of students had occurred at the University of Belgrade, exchanges of which were not seen even during two world wars.
On that occasion, he announced that he would come out with preliminary data in seven days and added that it was “thousands of students” who “sought salvation” in Slovenia, Croatia, Austria, and Hungary, which, as he said, hit him the hardest and almost made him cry. He also said that the largest number of them took their documents on loan.
“They are leaving everywhere because of a band of irresponsible people who imagined they could gain power without elections and knew from the beginning what they were doing. They inflicted a heavier blow on the University of Belgrade than German bombs in the Second World War,” Vučić emphasized and continued to attack UB Rector Vladan Đokić.
Danas states that there has not been a detailed discussion at the University of Belgrade about the expectations for the upcoming enrollment, but it is believed that the number of freshmen will be lower than last year. One reason is the fact that generations are becoming smaller year by year, but it is also expected that the overall situation will leave its mark.
Opinions among professors from the University of Belgrade faculties are divided – some expect significantly worse enrollment, while others believe that high school graduates will rather choose to study at our oldest and most important university, which has shown responsibility during the current social crisis. High school graduates, especially in large cities, have stood by the students and supported them all along, so some believe that this awakened energy will influence them to choose to continue their education precisely at UB.
Danas’s interlocutors also point out that the procrastination with adopting budget quotas and announcing tenders, and the idea of enrolling 60 percent of freshmen in July and the rest in the fall (which was eventually abandoned) will also leave its mark, so some graduates may go to private institutions or study abroad due to uncertainty.
They also note that the attacks on the University of Belgrade by the authorities and regime media continue unabated, although, as they point out, the UB administration and the deans of Belgrade faculties made an effort to start classes and save the current academic year.
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Source: Nedeljnik, Photo: Tanjug/Dragan Kujundzic