Serbian scientist risks job after defending evolution

The director of the Serbian Center for the Promotion of Science is at risk of being fired for defending the theory of evolution - which has recently been criticized by conservatives in Serbia.

The director of the Serbian Center for the Promotion of Science, Nemanja Djorgjevic, is at risk of being fired after asking the Minister of Education to respond to a petition calling for the exclusion of Darwin's theory of evolution from schools.

The center's board voted 3-2 Thursday to fire Djorgjevic because he "presented a personal view as the Center's view" on the debate over the reexamination of Darwin's theory.

"There was no discussion about my qualifications or my work until now," Djordjevic told BIRN, adding that promoting science is part of his job, especially when it is attacked by "pseudo-science".

Another reason mentioned in the proposal for his dismissal is that the Center under his leadership has not adopted the necessary rules, which Djorgjevic denies.

Darwin's theory is back at the center of debate in Serbia, as more than 160 anti-atheist intellectuals – including doctors, biologists, chemists and a former education minister – recently signed a petition calling on the Ministry of Education to "review" her statements and their use in the school curriculum.

In response to the petition, Djordjevic published an open letter in Politika newspaper, where he asked Minister Mladen Sarcevic to react in defense of science.

"Citizens who believe pseudo-scientific trends refuse to vaccinate their children while pharmacies sell popular and ineffective drugs advertised in the media," he complained in the letter.

The anti-Darwinist petition was rejected by the main educational and scientific authorities of Serbia. Sarcevic meanwhile said that the ministry will not take into account the claims made in the petition and added that Darwin's theory will continue to be taught in schools.
Djordjevic's fate now rests in the hands of the minister, who must sign the proposal approved by the governing board in order for him to be fired.

"I strongly believe that there are enough people of integrity in the Ministry of Education and I doubt that the document will be signed," he said.

The Ministry of Education did not respond to BIRN's question about when the decision will be made.

"If you ask me what the problem is, I really can't understand," Djordjevic stressed, adding that the protection of science is a statutory obligation of the Center that he still heads.

"I see this as a kind of compliment to the Center. If someone wants to fire the director, and this is the case, then the institution I work for is working better than I thought," he concluded. /BIRN/