The Proaktiv Association of the University of Pristina, temporarily based in North Mitrovica, has publicly supported the appeal of the university’s students, who are seeking assistance to ensure that their educational institution remains within the system of the Republic of Serbia.
In a statement, Proaktiv expressed strong backing for the students’ appeal, emphasizing the challenges faced by the university and the potential closure of health and education services—currently the only two institutions still operating within Serbia’s system in the region.
“We strongly support the Appeal of our university students in their effort to highlight the difficulties and the potential shutdown of healthcare and education, the only two institutions functioning within the system of the Republic of Serbia,” the statement read.
Call for Broader Academic Support
Proaktiv, which comprises professors and associates from the University of Pristina with its temporary headquarters in North Mitrovica, has also urged Serbia’s academic community to join in support.
“In light of recent developments, including the occupation of infrastructural, cultural, and sports institutions, and the widespread violation of basic human rights, we call on the academic community of Serbia to stand with us and support the Appeal of our students, which clearly reflects the gravity and complexity of the situation in Kosovo and Metohija,” the statement added.
The statement of the Proaktiv Association, which also published the students’ appeal, was supported by colleagues from other universities, namely: the Rebel University Belgrade, the Forum of the University of Arts in Belgrade, the Free University of Novi Sad, the Free University of Kragujevac, and the Free University of Niš.
Students Stand Firm in Their Appeal
The group of students from the University of North Mitrovica, who have shown solidarity with peers from state faculties in Serbia that have been blockaded for months, made their appeal on Thursday amidst a series of closures of Serbian institutions in the region.
“Support our continued presence and survival within the institutional framework of the Republic of Serbia. Do not allow the voice of Serbian students from Kosovo and Metohija to be erased from the margins. Our struggle is collective, even though circumstances differ. Students from Kosovo and Metohija stand with you—stand with us,” the students declared.
They also stressed that education and healthcare remain the last pillars of Serbian institutional presence in Kosovo, with the University of North Mitrovica serving as one of the last strongholds.
“No one has the right to unlawfully integrate the University of Pristina into the Kosovo educational network,” the students said, warning of a “real threat” linked to the implementation of articles 16 and 21:22 of the Statute of the Association of Serbian Municipalities (ASM), which was accepted in October 2023 and affirmed by the Serbian president in May 2024.
Ongoing Institution Closures
The student group issued another statement yesterday, once again alerting the public to the systematic closures of institutions operating within the Serbian system in Kosovo.
“Although educational and healthcare institutions within the Republic of Serbia’s system in Kosovo and Metohija still function at this moment, the unpredictability of recent actions brings uncertainty about the future,” they warned.
In the latest wave of takeovers, primarily in the North, nine institutions were closed within four days this week, including the water supply facility in North Mitrovica with its pumping station in Suvi Do, the new water supply system in Zubin Potok, the Sports Hall, the Institution for Sports, Youth, and Specialized Services, the cultural and artistic society, the Sports Association, a house known as the City Museum, and the National Employment Service.
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