Brnabic: Blockaders have trampled credibility of universities underfoot

BELGRADE - The damage inflicted by blockaders to Serbian universities - above all, in Belgrade and, to a slightly lesser extent, in Novi Sad and other cities - is reflected in the fact that the universities no longer have any credibility, Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic said on Monday.

During a visit to the Student Cultural Centre (SKC) - which was, until recently, occupied by blockaders - Brnabic said that the blockaders, "aided by an organised criminal group around University of Belgrade Rector Vladan Djokic, have trampled our university's credibility underfoot and wiped their feet with it."

"It no longer has any credibility, and it will take a lot of time and effort to fix that and restore it," Brnabic said, noting that the University of Belgrade had been established 217 years ago.

Due to a lack of trust in the education system, young people are now hesitant about enrolling at the University of Belgrade, especially the faculties that were "radically pro-blockader since the outset and maintained the blockades for the longest," she said.