Serbia’s student movement and its potential role in the country’s political future will be the focus of an international online panel on October 12. The discussion, titled “Serbia at a Crossroads: Can the Student Movement Revitalize Democracy?”, comes ahead of Serbia’s parliamentary elections on October 25.
The event is being organized by the Niš-based Center for Critical Education (CKO), together with Harvard University and the Serbian Academic Diaspora, according to the organizers. Participation is free, and the discussion will take place online via Zoom.
The panel will examine how the Serbian student movement has influenced political developments in recent months. Participants will also discuss the challenges facing the movement and its possible role in Serbia’s democratic and political processes ahead of the election.
Serbian Student Movement at Center of Discussion
The panel will bring together academics and representatives connected to the student movement.
Ivan Vejvoda of the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) in Vienna will participate alongside Nada Trifković, a political scientist and student activist from the University of Belgrade.
Vladimir Petrović of the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies in Amsterdam and the Democracy Institute at Central European University will also join the discussion.
Harvard sociologist Danilo Mandić will moderate the event. Mandić is an associate senior lecturer in Harvard University’s Department of Sociology and a faculty associate at the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies.
Panel Comes Ahead of Serbia’s October Election
Organizers said the discussion will focus on questions that have become central to Serbia’s political debate, including what the student movement has achieved so far and the challenges it faces.
The panel will also examine how student activism could affect the country’s political life and democratic institutions.
CKO has invited students, academics, civil society representatives, journalists and members of the public to participate in the discussion.
Harvard has previously hosted discussions examining Serbia’s student protests and political developments. In April 2025, its Department of Sociology co-sponsored an online event titled “Serbia at a Crossroads: Democracy, Protests and the Future of European Values,” also moderated by Mandić.
The October 12 event will begin at 6 p.m. local time in Serbia and will be open to the public online.
