Organised by the SASA Board for higher education, the two-day ‘Conference on Higher Education and Research Work in Serbia: Current Situation and Perspectives’ was held on 15 and 16 October, in the SASA Grand Hall.

Continuing its tradition of actively addressing the current situation and perspectives of higher education and research work, the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts launched an initiative in 2023 to organise a conference dedicated to higher education and research work in Serbia. The initiative was launched in accordance with the activities outlined in the Strategic Directions of Development of Serbia in the 21^st century with the purpose of reviewing accumulated issues and considering perspectives for their solutions, as well as prospects for the further development of one of the most important resources of any country.

The main issues this conference addressed included the chronic lack of funds, controversial amendments to legislation, loss of scientific staff and ageing of the research workforce, decline in the quality of teaching and scientific research results, the overproduction of diplomas, plagiarism and declining standards in the evaluation of higher education, a decline in the quality of scientific publications, attempts to introduce foreign faculties, threats to the autonomy of universities, among others.