On Tuesday, October 21, 2025, CREES was delighted to host the fourth annual Borka Tomljenović Lecture, welcoming Dr. Gazela Pudar Draško, Director and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade. The Annual Borka Tomljenović Lecture is supported by the Borka Tomljenović Southeast European Peace, Cooperation, and Conflict Fund, aiming to promote knowledge about Yugoslavia and other Southeast European countries.

In her lecture, “Student-Led Democracy in Serbia’s Hybrid Regime,” Dr. Pudar Draško contextualized the current political climate in Serbia, describing its status as a “hybrid regime” characterized by control of the media and creeping autocracy under President Aleksandar Vučić. She traced the roots of citizen apathy and recent protest movements—starting with environmental battles and culminating in massive demonstrations following tragic events, including the mass shooting in a Belgrade school and the November 2024 infrastructural disaster in Novi Sad.

From left to right, Liz Malinkin, CREES Assistant Director of Programs & Operations; Katarina Borer, Professor Emerita, School of Kinesiology, U-M, and donor of the Borka Tomljenović Southeast European Peace, Cooperation, and Conflict Fund; Dr. Gazela Pudar Draško; and Elizabeth King, CREES Director and Associate Professor of Public Health.

A highlight of the discussion was the emergence of decentralized, student-driven plenums—local assemblies that have become powerful tools for collective agency and deliberative democracy. Dr. Pudar Draško described how students across Serbian universities, particularly at the University of Belgrade, bypassed traditional, government-controlled student parliaments by holding open assemblies, forming working groups, and leveraging social media channels such as Instagram to organize protest actions and disseminate information.

Despite facing repression, misinformation, and targeted intimidation, the movement’s leaderless and transparent approach helped sustain momentum and avoid co-optation. Dr. Pudar Draško underscored how these plenums fostered a new culture of direct democracy, unity, and trust—even among previously apolitical youth. The movement also bridged divides between ethnic and religious communities, notably strengthening solidarity between Serbian and Bosniak groups.

Audience members inquired about the prospects for change, the generational divides in Serbian politics, the impact on universities and educators, and the challenges of scaling decentralized activism. Dr. Pudar Draško acknowledged the difficulties ahead, including government retaliation and the ongoing struggle for truly democratic elections, but expressed optimism about the transformative impact of this new wave of student activism. She noted that current public opinion polls show substantial support for the student movement, indicating a shift in the country’s political landscape.

The following day, CREES students had the opportunity for a more in-depth and informal conversation with Professor Pudar Draško over lunch. We thank Dr. Pudar Draško for making the trip to Ann Arbor!