The newly formed Studentska lista has unveiled its comprehensive 11-point reform plan for education and science in Serbia, tackling funding models, university autonomy, and academic governance.
The platform emerges as the group details systemic changes aimed at depoliticizing public institutions and altering how academic titles and scientific research are evaluated. According to Mondo, the overarching strategy targets a departure from party patronage across the public sector.
In its published proposals, the platform also focuses on the modernization of educational programs adapted to the twenty-first century, aiming to foster critical thinking and practical knowledge. Additional goals include providing free textbooks for all primary and secondary school students regardless of where they live, alongside making study trips and extracurricular activities financially accessible.
The platform takes direct aim at the recently implemented SPIRI system, arguing it stripped faculties of financial control over their earnings. 021 reported that the group plans to abolish the system entirely.
The recently introduced SPIRI system has stripped faculties of control over what they earned themselves,
Studentska lista
Under the proposed changes, universities would independently select their leadership, moving away from councils where external members were appointed by previous authorities. The plan also shifts majority control within key national bodies.
The academic community will gain a majority in the National Council for Higher Education and the Steering Board of the National Accreditation Body, for which the ministry will no longer propose candidates,
Studentska lista
Academic advancement would be overseen by an independent commission composed of at least 40 percent external and international members. Staff meeting predetermined targets would secure open-ended employment contracts instead of rolling temporary agreements.
Whoever fulfills pre-set targets, alongside an annual evaluation, will receive an open-ended employment contract instead of a new fixed-term contract until the next election,
Studentska lista
The curriculum proposals seek to curb perceived abuses in scientific scoring and co-authorship practices. Planned adjustments will give primary authors greater weight than co-authors while establishing a national list of recognized journals.
Through new rulebooks and amendments to existing ones, we will give greater weight to the lead author than to co-authors, and in addition, we will introduce a national list of recognized journals and ban publishing in predatory journals at the expense of state projects,
Studentska lista
Evaluation metrics would expand beyond simple publication counts to incorporate peer review work, patents, and public policy proposals.
In addition to the number of published papers, peer review, patents, and public policy proposals will also be evaluated,
Studentska lista
Student welfare funding will increase sharply at first before rising steadily.
The budgetary item for student standards, which in 2026 amounts to 14.76 billion dinars and covers about 30 percent of the required capacity, will receive a larger jump, after which it will continue a steady, gradual growth,
Studentska lista
The platform introduces industrial doctorates designed to bridge the gap between academia and corporate needs, placing doctoral candidates directly into company problem-solving roles.
Doctoral candidates in such a program would work on a problem that a company actually has,
Studentska lista
To streamline the integration of foreign researchers and students, diploma recognition procedures would undergo a complete digital overhaul.
The nostrification of foreign diplomas will last a maximum of 60 days and will be carried out digitally through the ENIC/NARIC network,
Studentska lista
