Serbia’s government has restricted the time academics can spend on research to just five hours each week. The rule has been widely criticised by the country’s research community, which is now seeking to overturn it through the courts.

‘Pure retaliation’

Many think the regulation has been made to punish university staff who have been supportive of students’ protests against corruption. Those protests began in November, having initially been triggered by an incident in which a train station roof collapsed and killed 15 people.