Sir

Recent political manoeuvring within the Serbian government in Belgrade has turned from bad to disastrous. The first target of the new coalition government has been Serbian universities and research institutes, followed by attacks on the independent media.

Top academic and scientific institutions have been chosen for various reasons. First, it is revenge for the universities' activities during the 1996-97 protests, which were instrumental in invalidating the mockery of an election. It is also a precautionary move against eventual new challenges to the autocratic regime. The second motive is the hatred which vice prime minister Dr (sic) Vojislav Sheshely and his followers feel towards academics and intellectuals in general, making the present attempts to destroy Serbian universities particularly dangerous. Sheshely is a member of the board of the Fund for Serbia's Development and of several university and institute boards.

Two main features in the University Act, passed recently in the National Assembly, threaten to have a devastating effect on the educational system and scientific research.

First, the government has taken direct control of the entire structure and functioning of universities, appointing chancellors and deans, who in turn appoint practically all university staff. This has led to a purge of all “unsuitable employees”, while incompetent people are being appointed to deans' and professors' chairs.

Second, all research institutes have been expelled from the universities (including eight from Belgrade University). The new minister for science and technology emphasizes that the institutes may only expect funds from the government if their products can find their way onto the supermarket shelves! The implications for fundamental research are clear. Scientific output, already badly hit by the sanctions, will drop rapidly.

As for the universities, the first practical step taken by the government has been to dismiss all the staff, and ask those who want to stay to sign “contracts” with new university authorities (a pledge of loyalty to the regime, in fact). Many employees have refused to sign this humiliating paper and some have already been fired.

An immediate consequence of the new regime at the universities will be a drastic decrease in the amount and quality of teaching. In the past, some Serbian universities — in particular the largest, Belgrade — have had a good reputation abroad, and have provided gifted graduates to foreign research centres and colleges.

As a result of the current moves against academic freedom and top-rank intellectuals, most gifted young people will enrol in colleges abroad — if they can afford it. The most eminent professors will also leave the country for jobs abroad.

With the ‘war’ in Kosovo continuing, and the threat of military action against Serbia by the international community, prospects for the country appear gloomy indeed. As someone put it recently, with our current regime, we do not need NATO bombs at all.