Nataša Anđelković

The University of Belgrade fell from the 401–500 bracket to 501–600 in the 2026 Academic Ranking of World Universities, but remains the highest-ranked university in the region. Experts stress that the ranking primarily measures research output, citations, prestigious awards and publications rather than teaching quality. The decline may be linked to the absence of a highly cited researcher, while its connection to Serbia’s 2025 student blockades remains disputed. The ranking still provides prestige, can influence international recognition of degrees and student interest, and highlights strong performance in fields such as metallurgy, food science, veterinary medicine and mathematics. Academics describe the result as a warning that international competitiveness requires stable working conditions and sustained investment in research and higher education.

The article examines how Russia invokes Kosovo’s independence as a precedent for recognizing or annexing territories in Georgia and Ukraine, and compares those claims with the 1999 NATO intervention and Kosovo’s later independence. Experts argue that the cases are legally and politically distinct: Kosovo’s secession did not involve incorporation into another state, while Russia’s referendums in occupied Ukrainian regions were conducted under military control and lack legitimacy. Serbia faces pressure to accept Kosovo’s participation in international institutions, align with EU policy and sanction Russia in exchange for closer European integration, while President Aleksandar Vučić maintains that Serbia will not accept Kosovo’s UN membership. The dispute highlights Serbia’s increasingly difficult choice between its ties with Moscow and its declared European path.