The first Russian edition of the book "The Serbian Issue" was presented at BSTU.
The presentation of the first Russian edition of the monograph "The Serbian Question: Political Concepts for Resolving the Serbian National Issue" took place at the "Boiling Point" space located in the atrium of the Scientific and Technical Library of the V.G. Shukhov Belgorod State Technological University. The university itself published this unique work.
The author is Dr. Jovan Bazić, a professor who pioneered the long-standing collaboration between Belgorod Technological University and the University of Pristina in Kosovska Mitrovica. The partnership between the two universities has been successfully developing for 15 years, and this event marks a new stage in the joint publishing and translation activities initiated by the Institute of Serbian Language and Communication at BSTU. Following this initiative, arrangements are already underway for the publication in Serbia of a book on geonics by the eminent scientist Professor Valeriy Stanislavovich Lesovik.
Speaking to the guests, Jovan Bazić called the monograph the work of his life. His research has lasted for 30 years, with nearly 10 of those years spent in archives. The book had several editions in Serbia, but Russian readers became acquainted with the most up-to-date version, supplemented by a review of events up to 2025. Remarkably, the Serbian edition has not yet been published, making the presentation in Belgorod its international premiere.
Vice-Rector for International Affairs, Doctor of Technical Sciences Ruslan Lesovik, introduced the author as a scholar with extensive experience in the government apparatus of Yugoslavia and Serbia, who has extensively researched Russian-Serbian relations. He emphasized the relevance of the Serbian experience for Russia in the current context and the importance of preserving historical memory when working with the younger generation. Among the reviewers of the publication were the following leading experts: Doctor of Historical Sciences and Foreign Member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts E.Yu. Guskova; Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor K.N. Lobanov; and Candidate of Political Sciences A.F. Yakovleva.
This monograph provides a comprehensive analysis of the Serbian national question as a long-term historical and political process in the context of the transformation of the global order. The author has created a paradigmatic example for the study of national identity, legitimacy, and sovereignty, applicable to other countries as well. The book combines a unique concentration of material dispersed across specialized publications with an analytical explanation that ensures a holistic understanding without sacrificing academic preciseness.
Konstantin Lobanov, who attended the presentation, noted: "This well-founded, broad-based research work addresses the conceptual foundations of ethnic development and state-building of the Serbian people. In this extensive historical canvas, the author depicts the processes of theoretical substantiation of the Serbian national idea, presenting a vision of the value system and methods for implementing ideological constructs in political reality."
Jovan Bazić was born on November 10, 1956, in Belo Brdo, Leposavić Municipality, Republic of Serbia. He was awarded a diploma (1983), master's degree (1995), and doctorate (2002) from the Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade. He worked in the professional services of political organizations (the Republican Conference of the League of Socialist Youth of Serbia, the Central Committee of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, and the Main Committee of the Socialist Party of Serbia). From 2004 to 2022, he worked at the Pedagogical Faculty of the University of Pristina, with temporary residence in Kosovska Mitrovica. In 2003, he was elected a research fellow at the Institute for Political Studies in Belgrade, and at the same university he held the positions of associate professor, associate professor, and full professor. During this time, he also served as Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Development, Science and Environmental Protection (1997–2003) and Assistant to the Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia (2012–2014). He also held various positions at the Faculty (Head of the Department of Social Sciences, Vice-Dean, and Chairman of the Faculty Council), as well as at the University: Member of the University Council (2004–2010), and then Vice-Rector for Science and International Cooperation (2019–2022).
He has published approximately 200 scientific papers, primarily in Serbian, English, and Russian; monographs include "The Serbian Issue: Political Concepts for Resolving the Serbian National Question" (2003) and "Social Aspects of Education" (2012); as well as a university textbook, "Sociology," which has gone through 12 different editions and is used in many faculties in Serbia. He has participated in the implementation of various research projects, edited domestic and international scientific journals, and reviewed approximately a dozen scientific monographs. He currently serves as Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Institute of Social Sciences in Belgrade and a member of the Council of the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Belgrade.
