Serbian students refute Belgrade's propaganda after visiting Kosovo: They lied to us, Serbs are not oppressed

A group of students from Serbia, part of an initiative called "Students in Every Village", have conducted a study visit to Kosovo, which has become a topic of widespread debate in public opinion and regional media.

Their reporting from the field, as well as statements in the media, have opened discussions on perceptions of reality in Kosovo, interethnic relations, and the way these issues are treated in the political discourse in Serbia.

One of the expedition participants, Mihailo Marković, a student at the Faculty of Law in Belgrade, in an interview for the show "Bez pardona", shared his impressions of the visit, emphasizing that the experience on the ground has influenced the change of some previous beliefs.

"The impressions are really beautiful... The conversations were wonderful... We talked to Albanians and many prejudices that existed before were broken down. People live a normal life and the situation is good," Marković said.

According to him, direct contacts with citizens in Kosovo have contributed to a more complex perception of social reality, challenging the images previously created through the media and public discourse in Serbia.

These statements have been widely reported in the media, including the portal Danas.rs, which highlights that the students' experiences in the field have highlighted a contrast between what they have encountered in Kosovo and the dominant narratives in Serbian public discourse. According to the analysis, some of the students have questioned previous perceptions of inter-community relations and the daily situation in Kosovo.

At the same time, the visit has caused mixed reactions in public opinion and on social media in Serbia. Some have seen the expedition as an attempt to promote dialogue and recognition of the reality on the ground, while others have criticized it, interpreting it in a political and ideological context.

In the analyses published in the media, the debate has also been linked to the way the Kosovo issue is addressed in the Serbian public space, where, according to critics, polarized and politically influenced narratives often prevail. In this context, the students' experiences have been presented as an element that challenges consolidated perceptions and opens new discussions on interethnic relations in the region.

One of the participating students emphasized that direct interactions with citizens in Kosovo have shown, according to him, a more nuanced reality than that often presented in public discourse, mentioning coexistence and efforts for a normal daily life.

However, according to media analyses, reactions to these statements have been divided, reflecting the deep polarization of the public debate on Kosovo and the role of the media in shaping opinion.

The students have announced that their activity will continue within the framework of the "Students in Every Village" campaign, with other planned visits and field reports, which aim, according to them, to get closer to the social reality in the region and directly confront the experiences of local communities.