Author: MASS

TIME: Wednesday, 18.11.2020. in 12:00

Link to participate in the discussion

The Network of Academic Solidarity and Engagement (MASA) invites you to a panel discussion regarding the report of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) and the exclusion of the National Body for Credit and Quality Control from full membership. The ENQA report drew attention to the problems in the process of accreditation of higher education institutions in Serbia, which the professional public drew attention to before, but they did not receive more attention until the publication of this report.
The Serbian public has been discussing a lot about the possible consequences that the suspension will have on students, faculties and higher education as a whole. MASA would like to draw attention to the aspects of this report that burden the ongoing process of accreditation of higher education programs, represent a risk for the impartiality of the accreditation process and threaten the achieved international status of universities in Serbia and their students in the long term.

We will discuss the following topics:

1. Legal solutions that enable the direct interference of the RS Government and the relevant minister in the work of the highest bodies that regulate higher education in Serbia: the National Body for Accreditation and Quality Control and the National Council for Higher Education
2. Deficiencies in the quality control process, as insisted on by the ENQA report, which allow the accreditation of institutions that fictitiously meet the accreditation requirements or run programs that are not in accordance with the obtained accreditation.
3. The role of the National Council for Higher Education in the accreditation process, which in the appeal process can provide accreditation to institutions that do not meet the requirements or, by delaying the process, enable the implementation of programs rejected by NAT.
4. Last but not least, the imposition of high costs on higher education institutions in the accreditation process favoring commercially viable programs that often lead to collapsing standards and degree inflation.

Participant(s):
- Prof. Jelena Kočović, full professor at the Faculty of Economics, University of Belgrade, director of the National Body for Accreditation and Quality Control in Higher Education.
- Prof. Nebojša Janićijević, full professor at the Faculty of Economics, University of Belgrade, member of the Commission for Accreditation and Quality Control in the period from 2006 to 2013.
- Prof. Marko Simendić, associate professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade.
- Moderator: assistant professor Oliver Tošković, assistant professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade.

To the public call for an analysis of the norms and practices of accreditation of higher education institutions and study programs in the Republic of Serbia, three applications were received within the given deadline: Biljana Maluckov, Sonja Kuzmančev and Boban Stojanović. No person applied for the competition for the analysis of standards and the accreditation procedure of higher education institutions.

On May 18, 2020, the coordinating committee of the Network of Academic Solidarity and Engagement (MASA) considered all the applications received and determined that two applications were complete, that is, they contained a study plan proposal. The KO unanimously chose Boban Stojanović's proposal as the most methodologically grounded and comprehensive presentation of problems in advancement, which best meets the requirements of the competition. 

Also, the Coordination Board decided that Sonja Kuzmanchev, who submitted the second proper application, should offer to be the author of the second accreditation study.

Both studies should provide an initial insight into the situation in the mentioned two areas, and after their presentation, MASA will initiate a broad consultative process with representatives of the academic community.

Attached are all three applications received for the above-mentioned public invitation.

On an almost daily basis, our society faces crises that arise as a result of making insufficiently competent decisions in all domains of action: medicine, law, economy, urban planning, ecology, etc. Such situations less often result from disagreements within the profession, and more often from making compromises between the opinions of the profession and political actors, or due to the omission of experts from the process of making important decisions. All this leads to the creation of a society that ignores the public good and the interests of citizens.

What should the public engagement of academic workers mean? Should experts wait to be consulted or must they actively fight to have their opinions heard? Do academic workers and experts have the right to defend the public good? And finally, what is the purpose of education in a society that makes decisions ignoring the opinion of the most competent and qualified individuals and groups?

At this forum, through a conversation with experts and scientists from different fields, we want to start a discussion on the topic of the professional public's attitude towards their profession and public action, as well as the issue of social responsibility that comes with public office.

The venue: Cafe Brod Zeppelin, Kej Žrtava Racie bb, Novi Sad
https://www.facebook.com/Cafe-brod-Zeppelin-281248608726941

Time: 22.10.2020. at 6 p.m

Participants:
- Dr. Sci. honey Predrag Đurić, epidemiologist
- Dr. Aleksandar Bede, Association of Architects of Novi Sad
- prof. Dr. Bojan Pajtić, Faculty of Law
- Dimitrije Radišić, Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Mathematics
- Bora Babić, Academic Book Publishing Company.
- prof. Đorđe Pavićević, Ph.D., Faculty of Political Sciences and member of KO MASA

Moderator: Dr. Bojana Bodroža, assistant professor at the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad and trustee of MAS for Novi Sad

The Network of Academic Solidarity and Engagement (MASA) organizes a forum on the occasion of the presentation of research that aims to guide us to norms, practices and shortcomings of promotion to higher positions at universities in the Republic of Serbia. The analysis includes the legal framework of educational advancement, the practice of selection for a title investigated through the (un)available reports of the commissions of individual universities, while the final word, which opens up new questions, is given to the members of the academic community itself, since we conclude the research with a conversation with the vice-deans of all three state universities .

How to arrange the rules in order to prevent nepotism and discrimination during the selection of positions? How to reduce the possibility of the influence of personal relationships at the faculties, and promote the independence of the commission in the direction of greater objectivity in decision-making? In what way is it possible to increase the responsibility of committee members for checking facts and data in reports?

These are just some of the issues that we will discuss at the forum that will be held in Wednesday, October 21, starting at 12:00 in the small hall of the Media Center in Terazije.

Panelists:

Prof. Đorđe Pavićević, Ph.D., Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade, Massa Coordination Board
Prof. Dr. Danilo Vuković, Faculty of Law in Belgrade
Prof. Dr. Jelena Jerinić, Vice Dean for Science, Union Faculty of Law
Prof. Dr. Tomislav Živanović, President of GSPRS Nezavisnost
Dr. Igor Stanković, scientific advisor, Institute of Physics in Belgrade
Prof. Dr. Petar Bulat, vice-rector for teaching, University of Belgrade (TBC)
Prof. Gordana Kocić, general secretary of the National Council for Higher Education (TBC)

The Network of Academic Solidarity and Engagement (MASA) strongly condemns the ban on teaching duties issued by prof. Dr. Rodoljub Kubat and announcing his dismissal, as well as other acts that call into question the freedom of action, opinion and speech of teachers and associates of this faculty. Also, we call for the work of this faculty to be brought into line with the legal framework as soon as possible, as well as the norms of civilization that, as a society, we hope, we all share.

On the occasion of the latest news that the dean of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology at the University of Belgrade, prof. Zoran Ranković, Ph.D., issued a decision banning full-time professor Rodoljub Kubat, Ph.D. from performing the duties of a teacher in academic studies, and announcing that he will soon be handed his resignation. of education, science and technological development to react as quickly as possible and prevent the persecution of Prof. Kubat, but also other teachers and associates of this faculty.
This is the last in a series of events that violates the law-guaranteed autonomy of the University of Belgrade, of which this Faculty is a member, at the Orthodox Theological Faculty (PBF) of the University of Belgrade. By previous acts of the faculty administration and the Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church, teachers of this faculty are prohibited from any form of public speaking. For some, progress in the profession is conditioned by showing obedience to the church authorities, others are prohibited from participating in classes, while the previous dean, Bishop prof. Dr. Ignatije Midić was forced to resign because the Synod demanded his dismissal.
It is undeniable that PBF has a naturally close relationship with the Serbian Orthodox Church since members and members of the high hierarchy teach and study at this academic institution. It is disputed, however, that this relationship is not regulated in a manner that is legally valid and in accordance with higher legal acts - the Statute of the University of Belgrade and the Law on Higher Education. This fact was noted by the Committee for Statutory Issues of the University of Belgrade in December 2019, assessing that they are members of the PBF Statute, which foresee the possibility of influence of the Synod and church authorities in the work of the Faculty in violation of the Law and the University Statute.
Referring to disputed articles of the PBF Statute, however, still allows the members of the Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the PBF administration to make arbitrary, unfounded and unquestionable decisions about the fate of the teachers of this institution. This not only endangers the principle of university autonomy, but also the civilizational achievements of freedom of thought, speech and academic research. In the end, in this way the existence of the mentioned teachers is threatened, an atmosphere of fear and submission is encouraged, which is fundamentally alien to free societies, the academic community, and we believe the Orthodox Church itself.

Member of the Council of the Network of Academic Solidarity and Engagement (MASA) prof. Dr. Danica Popović has been under the attack of tabloids for a long time, which unfoundedly and flatly judge and qualify her academic work as well as her personality. They are in public now came out and "underground" influences with "benevolent" threats exerting pressure on the Ethics Commission of the Faculty of Economics in order to bring about the condemnation of prof. Popović for allegedly plagiarizing textbook translations.

On this occasion, MASA emphasizes that it will always strongly oppose the disqualification of colleagues based on the practices of repressive institutions. Writing falsified letters from fake addresses with threats, in which the rector of the University of Belgrade is falsely involved, is not only a criminal offense, but also represents brutal pressure on actors not to oppose the public lynching of Prof. Popović, and for us it also represents an attack on the University of Belgrade. We are particularly concerned that a letter of this content is not an isolated case.

The Ethics Committee should adopt and communicate its opinion based on professional assessment and ethical standards prescribed for academic work. Defending the right of members of the academic community to freely express their professional and critical opinions, MASA will firmly advocate for the defense of the autonomy of university bodies from external, including any political pressures and manipulations. At the same time, we do not want our colleagues to be the subject of investigations and condemnations by university bodies for actions that are not related to their academic work and academic titles. Other authorities are responsible for such possible procedures. Today, despite the opinion of the Expert Commission, someone's profession is publicly questioned on the basis of an individual position on the translation of a text that is treated flatly as a scientific paper from the economic sciences. MASA will always react strongly to attempts to apply clichéd public standards of morality to academic work in order to influence the decisions of university bodies.

We expect the EF Ethics Commission to make the right decision in the case of Danica Popović, just as we expect colleagues and fellow members of the academic community to stand in solidarity against such pressures that create an atmosphere of fear where everyone is a potential target.

OPEN LETTER
TO THE RECTOR, SENATE AND COUNCIL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF BELGRADE

Academics and the wider public in Serbia have known for several years about scandals and abuses at the Faculty of Philology in Belgrade: extremely irregular financial operations, enormous incomes of a small number of employees, illegal accumulation of key functions, numerous cases of plagiarism. All of this was partly made possible by deliberately fostered organizational chaos, which brought the Faculty of Philology (FF) to a state of complete institutional and legal disarray. For years, FF has not been able to pass a new statute that would be harmonized with the Law on Higher Education and the Statute of the University of Belgrade (UB), to hold regular elections for key bodies and to properly constitute them, so even today it does not have an Ethics Commission, which would cases of plagiarism and other forms of non-academic behavior could be reported.

It is no secret that the greatest responsibility for such a situation rests with prof. Ph.D. Ljiljana Marković, who was dean of Faculty of Arts from 2016 to 2019, and then acting dean until July of this year, when she was relieved of her duties after a public reprimand issued to her by the UB Ethics Committee due to multiple violations of the code of professional ethics. However, that public admonition reveals only part of the moral character of Prof. Dr. Ljiljane Marković. The Ethics Committee of UB, by the nature of things, could not deal with her almost unbelievable financial mistakes, which were pointed out by the State Audit Institution in 2018, just as it could not deal with the fact that her scientific career is largely based on fictitious publications and plagiarism . Evidence of this exists, but the UB Ethics Committee, as a second-level body, can consider them only after the FF Ethics Commission, which does not yet exist. After all this, should we even say that the appointment of Prof. Dr. Ljiljane Marković as a special advisor in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development (Ministry of Education) caused astonishment and indignation among the academic, and not only the academic, public.

Dismissal of Prof. Dr. Ljiljane Marković opened the possibility to return the work of FF to normal frameworks, and to that end, in agreement with the rector of UB, prof. Dr. Ivankom Popović, a plan was made how to, before the start of the academic year 2020-2021. year, elect a new dean and all key bodies of the FF. Bearing in mind both the interest of the students and the interest of the academic community, the representatives of the majority of teachers and associates of FF accepted, as a temporary solution until the election of a new dean, that prof. Dr. Anđelka Mitrović, one of the closest collaborators of Prof. Ljiljane Marković, Ph.D., will be acting dean of FF. The Ministry of Education was aware of this plan and did not express any objections to it.

The teaching-scientific council of FF, in a secret vote in which almost 901 TP3T of its composition participated, elected the members of the key faculty bodies at the beginning of this month. The results of that vote unequivocally showed that the teachers and associates want to put an end to lawlessness and moral decay, which have ruled the Faculty of Philology for years, and it was clear that their statement about the candidate for dean, scheduled for September 17, would confirm that commitment. It seems that this was not acceptable for those who for years, openly or from the shadows, managed the faculty, so the acting dean, prof. Dr. Anđelka Mitrović, first postponed the vote by a few days, and then the Educational Inspection of the Ministry of Education appeared, which - claiming that a new FF statute must be adopted first - ordered that the dean election procedure be suspended.

The decision of the Educational Inspection represents an open and rude attack on the university's autonomy guaranteed by law and cannot be justified by any formal reasons. The steps taken in the past months at FF, in agreement with the UB rector and with the knowledge of the Ministry of Education, are the only legal and legitimate way to overcome the deep crisis that has ruined the reputation of one of the oldest academic institutions in Serbia: only the quick election of a new dean will enable return the work of FF to the legal and statutory framework.

As long-time professors of FF, we urge you to most decisively ask the Ministry of Education to cancel the unsustainable decision of the Education Inspection and thereby contribute to improving the situation at FF. Any other outcome would have unfathomable consequences for the relationship between the authorities and the academic community in Serbia, because - and surely no one wants that - it would seriously threaten the autonomy of the university, without which neither UB nor other universities in Serbia can successfully respond to their complex tasks.

In Belgrade, September 27, 2020.

Prof. Dr. Ranko Bugarski

Prof. Dr. Darinka Gortan Premk

Prof. Dr. Vladeta Janković

Prof. Dr. Leon Cohen

Prof. Dr. Dragan Stojanović

Prof. Dr. Đorđe Trifunović

 

 

 

The network of academic solidarity and engagement strongly condemns the interruption of the selection process of the dean of the Faculty of Philology of the University of Belgrade, which was ordered by the educational inspection of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development (MPNTR).

After two months of the procedure, carried out in accordance with the order of the same inspection dated 13.12.2019. in which it is expressly ordered to take all actions and start the procedure for the election of the dean, acting dean Anđelka Mitrović annulled the elections. What caused this radical turn and why did the MPNTR educational inspectorate issue two mutually contradictory decisions in the space of only nine months?

The crisis at the Faculty of Philology of the University of Belgrade has been going on for several years, due to numerous controversial decisions and behavior of the dean, and then the acting dean Ljiljana Marković. The Committee for Professional Ethics of the University of Belgrade issued a public reprimand to her due to a series of omissions and violations of university and legal regulations. Marković is suspected of falsifying documents and irregular management of the Faculty's finances. During her mandate, the Faculty of Philology did not harmonize the Statute with the Law on Higher Education and the Statute of the University, although it was its obligation. In the end, she completely monopolized the most important functions at the faculty, simultaneously performing the functions of dean, vice dean for finance and acting manager of the Department for Financial Operations.  

Although her mandate as dean ended due to proven unethical behavior, Ljiljana Marković was appointed as a special advisor in MPNTR. It is very symptomatic that this very Ministry now sends an educational inspection to the Faculty of Philology, which changes its original decision and orders that the procedure for electing a new dean be cancelled, only three days before the scheduled vote. At the moment when it seemed that, after several years, the situation at the Faculty of Philology was normalizing and that the institutional agony was ending, the Ministry employed the person most responsible for that agony and grossly violated the University's autonomy, sending an inspection that stopped the process of selecting a dean.

MASA requests MPNTR not to obstruct the election of the new administration of the Faculty of Philology, but to respect the order of its own inspection issued in December 2019. Also, MASA appeals to the Council of the Faculty of Philology to protect the interests of its own faculty and enable the process of selecting a dean to be completed and the faculty to be introduced into regular business.

We invite colleagues, male and female students to join in solidarity with the protest walk organized by the employees of the Faculty of Philology on Tuesday, September 29, starting at 2 p.m. The walk starts from the Plateau in front of the Faculty of Philosophy.