On June 4, 2026, the Senate of the University of Novi Sad voted in secret to deny the reappointment of Vladimir Mihić, an associate professor of psychology. The denial appeared to be retaliation for his support of student protests.

Mihić, a scholar of social psychology, actively supported the nationwide student-led anti-corruption movement and participated in the informal academic network “Free University Novi Sad,” which offered educational alternatives and legal support during the protests.

In December 2025, Mihić began the reappointment process for his position. The Expert Committee of the Faculty of Philosophy issued a positive evaluation, confirming that Mihić met all legal and statutory conditions for the position. As required, the Committee published the report on the university’s website for a 30-day public review period.

In January 2026, Patrik Drid, the Dean of the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education, submitted a complaint challenging two technical aspects of the report. After correcting the report, the Committee made it public again for fifteen days. Drid then submitted a second complaint challenging Mihić’s pedagogical competence, citing the scholar’s public and media appearances and social media posts supporting student protests. According to Serbian higher education law, “pedagogical competence” is based on student evaluations. Despite Drid’s objections, both the Electoral Council of the Faculty of Philosophy and the Expert Council for Social Sciences formally approved the Committee’s positive report, advancing it to the Senate.

On June 4, 2026, the Senate of the University overruled the Committee’s assessment, and denied Mihić’s appointment through an anonymous vote, breaking from the standard practice of the University of Novi Sad. The denial of Mihić’s reappointment fits an emerging pattern of Serbian universities using job review processes to dismiss academics supportive of the nationwide anti-corruption protests (see, for example, SAR’s report on Jelena Kleut).

Scholars at Risk is concerned about about the refusal of an otherwise widely supported meritorious promotion to a professor in apparent retaliation for the exercise of the right to freedom of expression. Academics should enjoy the full scope of rights as all other persons, including free expression (free speech), freedom of association, and due process. University authorities have an obligation to refrain from retaliatory actions intended to punish, restrict, or chill the exercise of academic freedom so long as that activity is undertaken peacefully and responsibly. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, denial stemming from such activity undermines academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and democratic society generally.

Sources:
https://serbiantimes.info/en/expelled-from-the-faculty-for-participating-in-protests-professor-vladimir-mihic-lost-his-job-after-24-years-of-work/
https://www.insajder.net/vesti/profesor-mihic-danas-ispred-rektorata-u-novom-sadu-drzi-predavanje-studenti-pozivali-na-skup
https://vreme.com/de/drustvo/otkaz-profesoru-mihicu-presuda-aktivisti-brkovicu/
https://sciencebusiness.net/news/serbias-academics-lose-jobs-over-support-student-pro-democracy-movement
https://autonomija.info/drid-ponovo-podneo-prigovor-na-reizbor-profesora-filozofskog-fakulteta-ovog-puta-zbog-aktivnosti-van-fakulteta/
https://autonomija.info/profesor-mihic-insistiranje-da-komisija-utvrdi-da-li-sam-bio-trudan-pokazuje-apsurdnost-dridovih-primedbi/