site.btaBelgrade University Opens Admission Exams amid Faculty Blockades

Admission exams have begun at the University of Belgrade, with some taking place outside faculty buildings due to ongoing student blockades. The Faculty of Electrical Engineering is holding its mathematics entrance exam at the Belgrade International Fair, and the physics exam is scheduled there too. 

Deputy Minister of Education Aleksandar Jovic told Tanjug news agency on Thursday that he expects the university admission exams across Serbia to proceed smoothly, and was confident that the situation with the faculty blockades will normalize soon.

Since late November of last year, students have taken control of approximately 60 faculties across Serbia in protest over a deadly incident at the Novi Sad railway station, where on November 1, a concrete canopy collapsed, killing 16 people.

In the eight months since, students have led mass anti-government protests, resulting into broader political demands. In May, student leaders called for early parliamentary elections, declared the government illegitimate, and urged civil disobedience.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has refused to call new elections, accusing the protesters of staging a “colour revolution” in the country.