Statement due to academic community support on the decision of the Senate on the protection of the autonomy of the University of Montenegro
At the session held on December 23, 2020, The Senate of the University of unanimously decided to submit a proposal to withdraw the proposed amendments to the Law on Higher Education from the parliamentary procedure, because representatives of the University of Montenegro were not involved in drafting the Law.
As amendments to the Law of essential character for the organization and business of the University of Montenegro were proposed, and as such a proposal excluded all relevant factors and the academic community, the autonomy of the University of Montenegro, guaranteed by the Constitution and the Law on Higher Education, was significantly violated.
The conclusion of the Senate, as a binding act, was forwarded to the proposer (Parliament of Montenegro) and the academic stuff of the University of Montenegro was sent a voluntary initiative (petition), in accordance with their right to freedom of thought and ideas, which included possibility of transparent criticism to any attempt at politicization, discrimination and pressure on the most higher education, scientific, artistic and cultural institution in Montenegro.
Ignoring the institute of public dispute, such as their political predecessors as the MP Bošnjak pointed out and in advance denying and belittling views, rights and freedoms of her fellow professors, indicated that there was justified fear of legal argumentation, expert comments and constructive proposals of the academic community. Such individual media and political attitudes represent, to the least extent, deliberate distance and in the most severe case, marginalization and discrimination of academic thought.
Populistic statements such as “closeness and silence of the academic community, non-transparency, lobbying, obedience, positioning etc, in explaination of the proposed amendment of the Law are immoderate and ungrounded because university professors persistently deny them by numerous examples of civic activism and political action. They are still the same employees at the University of Montenegro, they are still equally elected to academic titles, they are still objectively and professionally verified and their scientific and professional contribution is rewarded, respecting only legal and statutory provisions.
The existing Law on Higher Education was created on the basis of multiple institutional and international evaluation of universities in Montenegro, and is in accordance with EU standards and international educational practice. The composition of any body at the University of Montenegro, which decides on the election of rector, dean or director, consists mostly of the University employees, elected representatives of professors, students and the Union, in order to ensure depoliticization of the electoral process, autonomy of academic structures and professional development policy. The current Law on Higher Education provides an equal share and equal opportunities for representatives of all organizational units in the process of electing the rector. The election of the rector is done through a open competition and through two levels of decision-making, by giving the opinion of the Senate and the procedure of secret ballot at the Steering Committee of the University of Montenegro. Any person with the academic title of full professor can apply for the open competition. During the last re-election of the Rector of the University of Montenegro in 2020, the Senate and the Steering Committee of the University of Montenegro during the secret ballot gave unanimous support to the work program for the next term.
We respect the right to express personal views, but also expect constructive and grounded criticism, not a demonstration of political interventionism, populist combinatorics and personal animosities. The University of Montenegro is a place of knowledge, science, culture and critical awareness, not sensationalism, dogmatism and revanchism. The ones who persistently try to push politics an put pressure on the University of Montenegro, meddle in its autonomy and academic liberties, through impatient proposals of amendments to the Law on Higher Education and targeting management structures as “usual suspects” are the same representatives of certain political parties.
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