Press conference report

A press conference was held at the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts on Wednesday, 28 January, where SASA Vice President, Academician Zoran V. Popović, presented the Academy’s activities which are to be realised by the end of April.

As he emphasised, throughout 2026, SASA will commemorate the Year of Academician Aleksandar Belić (b. Belgrade, 2/14 August 1876 – d. Belgrade, 26 February 1960), one of the leading Serbian and global Slavicists of the first half of the 20th century, a long-standing president of the Serbian Royal Academy and the Serbian Academy of Sciences.

Through a scientific conference and an exhibition at the SASA Gallery, the Academy will highlight various aspects of the work of this extraordinary scholar, professor at the Belgrade Higher School and the University of Belgrade. Through his work, he left an indelible mark on the history of linguistic science in the South-Slavic region.

Among the February events, we can expect the 18^th edition within the ‘Encounters with Creators’ lecture series, which will feature musician Dado Topić, to take place on 18 February. Launched in 2015, a guiding principle of this lecture series is to present the reach of current artists and scientists and send a clear message, particularly to the young audience, that, despite challenges, it is possible in Serbia and the region to achieve creative breakthroughs, whose significance exceeds local nature. Lecturers, our distinguished scientists and artists, talk about their professional path, education, role models, difficulties and challenges they faced, successes and failures, a career in Serbia and inspiration for their work and creativity. The event is moderated by Academician Zoran Lj. Petrović, Director of the SASA Gallery of Science and Technology.

The international conference titled Pius XII and Totalitarianism in Yugoslavia: New Perspectives, organised by the Institute for Balkan Studies of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, will take place on 20 February. This scientific gathering provides an opportunity to exchange views with renowned experts from Italy on recent research findings and future directions in the study of relations between the Holy See and Yugoslavia.

The February programme also includes a round table titled The Issue of Legalisation of Long-Standing Sustainable Roma Settlements, which will take place on 19 February and is organised by the SASA Board for the Study of the Life and Customs of the Roma. Through dialogue among representatives of state institutions, the academic community, civil society organisations and relevant international stakeholders, the round table aims to address questions of long-term and sustainable solutions for the legalisation of informal Roma settlements. A practical approach will be emphasised in particular, alongside a review of previous initiatives related to lex specialis regulations concerning the legalisation of Roma settlements.

As part of the project ‘Ethno-Confessional Minorities in Serbia’, led by Academician Alpar Lošonc, a panel discussion titled ‘Plurality of Identity: Institutions and Social Dynamics in Serbia’ will be held on 18 March. This panel is a conceptual and analytical continuation of the panels realised in 2025, thus combines legal and institutional framework for minority protection and features empirical insights in everyday identity practices of ethno-confessional communities. Particular attention will be paid to the dynamics of multiple identities, as well as their public articulation and their relationship with state, media and cultural policies.

As in previous years, the Board for Immunology and Allergology of the SASA Department of Medical Sciences and the Immunological Society of Serbia will mark the International Day of Immunology on 29 April through a series of scientific lectures in the field of immunology of infections, based on the latest research findings that immunologists in Serbia and across the globe achieved in the previous period.

The exhibition Đuro Daničić – Loyalty to Language is currently on display at the SASA Gallery and will remain open until 15 March. Due to the strong public interest, the exhibition may be extended. The subsequent exhibition, scheduled for May, will be dedicated to Saint Sava. In addition, the SASA Gallery’s programme includes a rich concert repertoire featuring eminent performers.

The SASA Gallery of Science and Technology will present the exhibition ‘Dragonflies of Serbia’ from 11 to 28 February, organised by the Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia. Following this exhibition, the Gallery will host ‘Brain Awareness Week 2026’, taking place from 16 to 21 March, organised by the Students Section of the Serbian Neuroscience Society. In addition, the exhibition ‘Émile Borel – A French Friend of Serbian Mathematics and the Tradition of Franco-Serbian Cooperation in Mathematics’ will be held from 1 to 29 April, organised by the Institut Henri Poincaré (IHP) and the Mathematical Institute of SASA.

The SANU Library will host chamber exhibitions dedicated to Milan Rakić, Milisav Lutovac, Milan Bartoš, Josif Marinković, Dragomir Vitorović and other great figures of our science and art.

Academician Popović also highlighted the particularly comprehensive work of the SASA branches in Novi Sad and Niš, as well as of the SASA Centre for the Scientific Research and the University of Kragujevac, all of which have prepared numerous lectures, exhibitions, scientific conferences and publications, thus confirming the active role the Academy has in scientific and cultural life across Serbia.