The Administrative Court annulled the Belgrade University Senate’s ruling that Serbian Finance Minister Sinisa Mali’s doctoral thesis was plagiarized thus causing bitter reactions by several opposition parties and organizations.
In December 2019, the Belgrade University Senate unanimously declared that Mali’s doctorate was plagiarism and cancelled it. The Senate thus confirmed the University Commission for Professional Ethic’s decision with all 32 members who were at the meeting voting in favour of rejecting Mali’s doctoral thesis.
Mali challenged the decision before the Administrative Court, denying his thesis was plagiarism. The court ruled in his favour and returned the original decision for a new consideration.
The opposition parties described today’s court ruling as the executive authorities’ attempt to abolish the University’s autonomy.
The Democratic Party (DS) said the court did not have a single reason for such a move since, as it said, the Senate proved beyond reasonable doubt that Mali’s doctorate was plagiarised.
„If the court’s ruling proves true, it must not remain yet another bad decision which would be talked about for a couple of days before something else happens and diverts the public attention,“ Branimir Jovancicevic, a DS official, said.
He called on the academic community, students and general public „to show resistance“.
„If we don’t do that, we are agreeing to be legally unprotected, since the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) took complete control over all state institutions and our lives,“ Jovancicevic added.
(Danas, 23.06.2021)
https://www.danas.rs/drustvo/upravni-sud-ponistio-odluku-o-doktoratu-sinise-malog/
This post is also available in: Italiano