Page 147 - Šolsko polje, XXXI, 2020, 3-4: Convention on the Rights of the Child: Educational Opportunities and Social Justice, eds. Zdenko Kodelja and Urška Štremfel
P. 147
teršek ■ public universities in post-socialist states could become ‘un-academic’ ...
receptive and constructive critical students are all too often overlooked
and sometimes punished for demonstrating the critical and intellectual
tension.14 And the problem of mobbing and harassment at universities re-
mains without an effective answer.15
Even if there are alternatives that universities could still use to choose
appropriate ways to raise their level of quality and strengthen their role in
society, these alternatives, these ‘ways out’ of total state control, typically
remain unused. Within the framework of their unique function and priv-
ileged mission, universities must always share responsibility for the state
of mind in society as well as for the general quality of social life. Also for
a genuine democratic society in general. Such a philosophical and ethical
self-image of universities seems almost forgotten.
The value of work
Domestic research work, public relations work and publications that are
worth little more than nothing (publishing papers and books often means
pro bono work, a way of collecting ‘points’ for one’s habilitation and doc-
torate). Research work and publications abroad are worth everything, en-
tailing a few paradoxes and a little hypocrisy when it comes to language.
Many professors are unable to give lectures to foreign students. They
try to avoid them. Many of them simply do not want to speak any lan-
guage other than Slovenian at the university. A professor does not need
to be able to teach and write in a foreign language if they have the public
funds to pay for translations of his scientific papers. These resources are
not evenly distributed. Some have a lot, others have none. Consequently, a
professor who can only write in Slovenian may have the most publications
abroad and thus the highest score required for their habilitation.
14 In late 2009, Radonjič published an article on the Crisis of Academic Consciousness: “The
excuses offered by faculties to students, saying that the university is completely autono-
mous and therefore untouchable in its functioning, and therefore in violation of university
laws, shows a lack of sense of what we call natural law, which includes the ethics of funda-
mental human rights and moral values. The autonomy of the university is not something
absolute and must grow out of academic ethics”.
15 See e.g. Judgment of the Administrative Court of the Republic of Slovenia No. IU
2178/2009-16, in which the court found that the reference to the autonomy of the univer-
sity and the principle of secrecy of elections in habilitation proceedings is unjustified if a
negative decision does not provide evidence and reasons for the final conclusion the candi-
date does not meet certain criteria for election, or if the decision is not reasoned in the light
of the judicial assessment so it is possible to determine whether the deciding authority was
guided by reasonable grounds while deciding in the area of discretion. Finally, the universi-
ty is no stranger to classical mobbing, which is permanently present. This most important
inhibitor of development, intellectual freedom, scientific autonomy and a desecrator of
human dignity is not subject to almost any external scrutiny.
145
receptive and constructive critical students are all too often overlooked
and sometimes punished for demonstrating the critical and intellectual
tension.14 And the problem of mobbing and harassment at universities re-
mains without an effective answer.15
Even if there are alternatives that universities could still use to choose
appropriate ways to raise their level of quality and strengthen their role in
society, these alternatives, these ‘ways out’ of total state control, typically
remain unused. Within the framework of their unique function and priv-
ileged mission, universities must always share responsibility for the state
of mind in society as well as for the general quality of social life. Also for
a genuine democratic society in general. Such a philosophical and ethical
self-image of universities seems almost forgotten.
The value of work
Domestic research work, public relations work and publications that are
worth little more than nothing (publishing papers and books often means
pro bono work, a way of collecting ‘points’ for one’s habilitation and doc-
torate). Research work and publications abroad are worth everything, en-
tailing a few paradoxes and a little hypocrisy when it comes to language.
Many professors are unable to give lectures to foreign students. They
try to avoid them. Many of them simply do not want to speak any lan-
guage other than Slovenian at the university. A professor does not need
to be able to teach and write in a foreign language if they have the public
funds to pay for translations of his scientific papers. These resources are
not evenly distributed. Some have a lot, others have none. Consequently, a
professor who can only write in Slovenian may have the most publications
abroad and thus the highest score required for their habilitation.
14 In late 2009, Radonjič published an article on the Crisis of Academic Consciousness: “The
excuses offered by faculties to students, saying that the university is completely autono-
mous and therefore untouchable in its functioning, and therefore in violation of university
laws, shows a lack of sense of what we call natural law, which includes the ethics of funda-
mental human rights and moral values. The autonomy of the university is not something
absolute and must grow out of academic ethics”.
15 See e.g. Judgment of the Administrative Court of the Republic of Slovenia No. IU
2178/2009-16, in which the court found that the reference to the autonomy of the univer-
sity and the principle of secrecy of elections in habilitation proceedings is unjustified if a
negative decision does not provide evidence and reasons for the final conclusion the candi-
date does not meet certain criteria for election, or if the decision is not reasoned in the light
of the judicial assessment so it is possible to determine whether the deciding authority was
guided by reasonable grounds while deciding in the area of discretion. Finally, the universi-
ty is no stranger to classical mobbing, which is permanently present. This most important
inhibitor of development, intellectual freedom, scientific autonomy and a desecrator of
human dignity is not subject to almost any external scrutiny.
145
