Dejan Vuk Stanković

Dejan Vuk Stanković (Serbian: Дејан Вук Станковић; born 22 January 1973) is a Serbian university professor, philosopher, and political analyst. He is serving as the minister of education since 2025. Born in Belgrade, he graduated from the Faculty of Philosohpy of the University of Belgrade, later obtaining a doctorate from the institution. He has worked at the Faculty of Teacher Education of the University of Belgrade since 2003. Besides his academic career, he worked as a researcher, columnist, and political analyst for pro-government television channels. Stanković has opposed the student-led anti-corruption protests in Serbia.

Dejan Vuk Stanković was born on 22 January 1973 in Belgrade, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia.^[1][2] He finished an elementary school and the First Belgrade Gymnasium in his hometown. He later graduated from the Faculty of Philosohpy of the University of Belgrade in 1998, while in 2011 he earned his doctorate. He began working at the Faculty of Teacher Education of the University of Belgrade in 2003.^[1]

Besides his academic career, Stanković also worked as a researcher in opinion polling, initially for Marten Board International and then for Faktor Plus. He is also a columnist for Kurir and Politika newspapers,^[1] and a political analyst, regularly appearing on pro-government television channels such as Pink, Prva Srpska Televizija, and Informer. He is, however, not affiliated with any political party.^[3]

After the Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse on 1 November 2024,^[4] student-led anti-corruption protests began in Serbia.^[5] Since its beginning, Stanković has opposed the protests, accusing students of trying to topple the government of Serbia from power.^[3][6] When the Faculty of Teacher Education collective had a vote on whether to support the students in the protests, Stanković was the only one who voiced opposition.^[3]

The composition of Đuro Macut's cabinet was announced on 14 April 2025, with Stanković mentioned as a candidate for the minister of education.^[7] His nomination was opposed by students and professors who are supportive of the anti-corruption protests.^[3][8] The plenum and professors of the Faculty of Teacher Education and Independent Union of Educational Workers in Serbia also condemned his nomination.^[9][10][11] Stanković was elected minister of education on 16 April,^[3] succeeding Slavica Đukić Dejanović.^[12]

Shortly after he assumed office, some professors who opposed his nomination staged a protest in front of the building of the Ministry of Education.^[13] Stanković asserted that he would work on resolving the anti-corruption protests, which he described as "the greatest educational crisis in the history of Serbia", during his tenure. The dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Vladan Bogdanović, said that any aggressive attempts to end the protests would most likely lead to a conflict within the University of Belgrade staff.^[3] When Macut initiated meetings with Vladan Đokić, the rector of University of Belgrade, to solve the education crisis started by the anti-corruption protests, Stanković was also present at the first meeting.^[14] He later accused Đokić of trying to destroy Serbia.^[15]

In May, Macut's government created a working group inside Stanković's ministry that would work on amending the Law on Higher Education. Besides Stanković, members of the working group also included Đokić, Béla Bálint, the minister of science, and Dejan Madić, the rector of University of Novi Sad.^[16] In the same month, Stanković presented changes to the Law on Textbooks, stating that the changes are based on "[preservating] national identity" (očuvanje nacionalnog identiteta), "native language and nurturing tradition" (maternjeg jezika i negovanje tradicije).^[17] Stanković also joined the Movement for the People and the State, led by president of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić.^[18]

Regarding the enrollment of new students, Stanković announced that quotas would be only given to faculties who begin again holding classes.^[19] By July, most faculties resumed holding classes;^[20] however, the buildings remained occupied by students.^[21] In August, Stanković announced that the wages in education would be increased to meet the average monthly salary.^[22] With the start of a new school year in September, more than 100 teachers in schools in Serbia were fired.^[23] In the same month, Stanković's ministry gave 11 humanoid robots to schools with inclusive education resource centers.^[24] In October, Stanković announced that the new academic year would begin in November instead of October.^[25] In the same month, he proposed the creation of Faculty of Serbian Studies in Niš.^[26]

During his tenure at the Faculty of Teacher Education, he has been accused of alleged sexual harassment from female students and of unprofessionalism.^[3][9][27] According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, no sexual harassment complaints were filed against Stanković. Shortly before he became a government minister, he filed a criminal complaint against anonymous individuals who accused him of sexual harassment.^[28] In May 2025, a group of professors of University of Belgrade accused Stanković of autoplagiarism and filed an official report against him.^[29] The report was dismissed in July.^[30]