Due to a call for solidarity with students, faculty, and staff at Columbia University, who have been increasingly targeted by the U.S. government and university administration, the speakers have collectively decided to withdraw from the event. The speakers have answered the following call for a boycott of Columbia University. While we deeply regret this last-minute cancellation, we respect their decision to stand in support of academic freedom. We appreciate your understanding and hope to hold similar discussions under better circumstances in the future.
This event is online only.
Please join the Harriman Institute for a panel discussion with Jelena Kleut and Vujo Ilić. Moderated by Aleksandar Bošković. This event is part of our Democracy in Crisis and Transformation series.
Since November 2024, Serbia has been witnessing massive, student-led protests against corruption, marking one of the most sustained waves of public dissent in recent years. Sparked by allegations of high-level government corruption, abuse of power, lack of transparency and judicial independence, the demonstrations have drawn tens of thousands of citizens from all walks of life. Protesters have taken to the streets in major cities, demanding systemic reforms, greater accountability, and the restoration of democratic principles. Investigative journalism exposing deep-rooted corruption and the erosion of democratic institutions has further fueled public outrage. Despite government attempts to suppress the movement—including violence against student protestors, arrests, and media restrictions—the protests continue to gain momentum, underscoring the public’s mounting frustration and determination for change.
The scale of the protests has been vastly underreported in international media. On March 15, over 300,000 people marched through the streets of Belgrade in one of the largest demonstrations to date. Students from universities across Serbia have been at the forefront of the movement, leading rallies, organizing discussions, and mobilizing support nationwide. Their resilience, courage, and strategic leadership have inspired a wave of solidarity and galvanized a broad coalition, making this movement not just a political statement but a powerful call for justice and democratic renewal. This webinar will examine the origins, impact, and potential outcomes of the protests, featuring expert analysis and firsthand accounts from those directly involved.
Jelena Kleut is Associate Professor at the Department of Media studies, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad. She received MA and PhD in Communication Studies from the Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade. Her main research interests involve media texts and audiences with the focus on political communication and digital environment. She authored a book “I am (not) a bot: readers’ comments as a genre of participation in digital space” (in Serbian), as well as over 30 articles, some of which are published in renowned scientific journals. She was participant in numerous scientific networks and project, e.g. Transforming Audiences, Transforming Societies (COST IS 0906), CEDAR – Consortium on Emerging Directions in Audience Research, EnTrust – Enlightened Trust in Governance (H2020 SC6). She was principal investigator for the project “European Union in the media and on social networking sites”, “Local information and audience needs” and “Digital news report – Serbia”.
Vujo Ilić is a research fellow and assistant director at the Institute of Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade. He holds a PhD in political science from Central European University in Budapest, where he specialized in comparative politics. His research interests include democracy, elections, political participation, political conflicts, and violence, with a specific focus on Southeast Europe. At the Institute, he contributes to various research projects, including Network of Networks for Democracy (Nets4Dem) and Enlightened Trust (EnTrust), funded by the European Commission through the Horizon Europe program. He is also a member of ActiveLab, the Laboratory for Active Citizenship and Democratic Innovations. Vujo frequently serves as an expert on international projects and as a consultant for both domestic and international organizations, mainly in developing public policies and designing empirical research, especially surveys. He has received several awards, including the Central European University Best Dissertation Award (2020) and the Association for the Study of Nationalities Best Doctoral Paper Award (2016).
