Vice President Petkovic spoke with students' representatives about the Draft Law on Higher Education

Vice President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska Milan Petković spoke today with representatives of the Union of Students of the Republic of Srpska and student parliaments of the university of Banja Luka and East Sarajevo on the Draft Law on Higher Education, which is on the agenda of the Eighth Regular Session of the Parliament.

After the meeting, Petković said at the press conference that this law must incorporate greater rights of student representatives to make decisions when choosing a university rector and dean of the faculty.

He emphasized that students have to make decisions when choosing the rectors of the university and the deans of the faculty, because these persons represent these educational institutions.

He said his personal view is that universities and colleges must be depoliticized and that there must be university autonomy.

"The deans and rectors of the university cannot be members of political parties, especially not members of bodies of political parties, and this must be one of the conditions in the election of rectors and deans," Petković emphasized.

Uroš Bjelica, President of the Student Parliament of the University of East Sarajevo, said that the rights of students in the decision-making process in the Rectorate and the faculties were slightly neglected and that this should be changed.

Bjelica recalled that they had several meetings with representatives of the line ministry regarding the Draft Law on High Education, students' rights and obligations and the quality of higher education.