"The more you know, the less you are valued"
Have we fallen so deep as a society that the depreciation of the state university and academic profession is advocated in the media as a socially desirable behavior?
Are we so hypocritical to ignore crucial economic and social problems, but we call out university professors, because of the maximum 600 or 1,000 euros net amount on annual average, which they should receive to meet residential needs and secure future ten-year loyalty to the University, and not from the budget funds, nor from student tuition fees, as it was maliciously and incorrectly placed in the media, but from the University's own funds?
Are we so intellectually neglected, that now certain journalists and non-governmental organizations are allowed to contaminate the space of public speech with unverified information and incompetent interpretations, and insult the critical consciousness of Montenegrin citizens, on the principle "the more you know, the less valuable you are to this society" ?
We will not apologize for investing in our staff, for rewarding decades of teaching, scientific and administrative work, and for promoting expert criteria in ensuring the material and professional dignity of our professors. Because, they are the ones who, through their whole working life, constantly invest in their knowledge, expertise and scientific contribution, according to the Criteria of election to academic titles. Because they are the example of professional and social responsibility, who, based on scientific facts, arguments, proofs and references, educate our youth and future leaders of Montenegrin society. We apologize only to our employees for the fact that for now, we are not in a position to allocate more funds in these challenging times, according to the status they deserve in a civilized and progressive society.
The sensationalist comments on the preliminary ranking lists for obtaining credit funds is another attempt to depreciate the University's continuous investments in organizational and human resources. Unlike populist and political phrases served by the media about the need to improve the position of professors, the University of Montenegro has taken concrete steps such as increasing the salaries of employees from additional budget funds and continuous work to improve conditions for employees from its own funds.
Namely, the Strategy for Solving the Residential Needs of UoM Employees, which was developed with full support of the UoM Trade Union, with the aim to stop the outflow of scientific staff in the next 10 years, defines that solving will be addressed through 3 phases:
1) Solving the residential needs of employees at UoM by allocating funds (loans), with a maximum gross amount of up to 15,000 euros, with the obligation to return at least 30% of the funds. For this call, UoM provided its own funds in the amount of 1.2 million euros, of which 800,000 euros for academic staff (professors), and 400,000 euros for associates, professional and administrative staff.
2) Addressing the residential needs of employees by allocating funds to improve residential conditions, with a maximum gross amount of up to 10,000 euros, with the obligation to return at least 30% of the funds. For this call, UoM invested its own funds in the amount of 800,000 euros, of which 480,000 euros are for academic staff (professors), and 320,000 euros for associates, professional and administrative staff.
3) Addressing the residential needs of employees by allocating new residential units. It is planned to build 4 residential buildings within the Detailed Urban Plan University Center II, for which the consent of the Government of Montenegro was obtained and a request was submitted to the relevant ministry to announce the call for the conceptual design. Employees who received funds according to the calls listed in bullets 1) and 2), as well as those who have resolved the residential issue in accordance with the Rulebook, will not be able to apply for a new residential unit to be allocated under favorable conditions.
The Commission for the Allocation of Funds for Resolving the Residential Needs of UoM Employees by allocating funds (loans) and for improving residential conditions, has published on November 3rd and December 30th, respectively, complete preliminary ranking lists based on public calls. Based on these calls alone, in order to retain staff at UoM, residential issues will be solved for over 200 out of a total of 1,100 employees at UoM. When 4 planned residential facilities are added to that list, we represent that UoM, as the central higher education institution in Montenegro, responsibly invests in its employees, appreciating their dedicated work and prestigious results.
We are sorry that some media representatives did not understand and present this in a correct way, but they choose to intentionally or unintentionally support the policy of spreading misinformation, targeting individuals and putting pressure on independent institutions. We are also surprised by statements of certain politicians, who once obtained an apartment from the University (in 2007) and after only 3 years had asked for the loan to improve residential conditions, and now they want to deny the same right to their colleagues, 15 years after the last realized call for residential loans, where many of them have significantly improved their professional references and acquired the right for bigger residential units or the improvement of existing ones. The call for the allocation of residential loans announced in 2010 was not realized, because UoM at that time had a multimillion loss in business.
But today, when UoM has positive financial results and manages its resources responsibly, when it improves scientific-research, financial and residential conditions for its staff, when it invests in IT rooms, amphitheaters, libraries and university campuses for its students, when it successfully affirms itself internationally... such University is the subject of constant media discrimination and attempts of its discredit.
All of the above, including complete preliminary residential ranking lists, can be found and concluded at the official website of the University of Montenegro through a simple search. System of the University is based on transparent and objective criteria, in accordance with legal and Statute frameworks and the needs of the academic community.
Once more, we point out that it is extremely inappropriate and speculative to call out and label professors and scientists on their property issues, especially within the selective context of unreliable and incomplete information, all with the aim to sensationally induce media circulation.