NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #26/NN_1992_26.iso/spool/bit/listserv/ashel/284

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Date:         Wed, 11 Nov 1992 10:45:49 CET
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From:         "Jiri Zlatuska" <[e-mail]>
Subject:      Fight for academic freedoms in Slovakia
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Please post at your institution and/or forward to your
colleagues:

In recent days, a disturbing sequence of events culminates in
Slovak part of Czecho-Slovakia, threatening to abandon academic
freedoms and to use political coercion in order to force Trnava
University to surrender to the pressure of the political party
who had won June elections in Slovakia.

One of the crucial moments is scheduled for November 17 1992
session of the Slovak parliament, where the ruling HZDS party
intends to vote for dissolving Trnava University after series of
unsuccessful attempts to tame it into a politically obedient
institution. The is a bitter irony itself -- on November 17 1938
universities were closed by Hitler after Nazi occupation of
the Czech part of the country. A student commemoration parade on
the very same day in 1989 sparked the outburst of popular and
massive rejection of Communist regime in Czechoslovakia, and
brought back democracy into the country after more than forty
years. In the Slovak part, this may mark the turning point of
returning back onto the path leading away from democracy back
to what seemed to be a dark history.

The academic officials of Trnava University ask for any possible
way of showing international support which could contribute to
stopping the political power in Slovakia to finish the case by
brute force. The material from Trnava University form the main
body of this message, starting with the petition for support from
the head of Trnava University Senate. Some amount of
sympathetic response has already been generated from both within
Czecho-Slovakia and abroad. To mention one of them, Masaryk
University of Brno, Czecho-Slovakia, petitioned the head of the
Slovak Parliament with request to refrain from political action
against academic freedom in Slovakia, and in essence also against
democracy as such. You are invited to join the international call
of solidarity with Slovak academics from Trnava by sending your
expression of support to Trnava University and a demand of an end
of political interference with academic affairs to the addresses
indicated in the Petition from Trnava University.


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            Petition

According to the Czecho-Slovak Law regarding Universities, the
democratic Parliament of the Slovak Republic established Trnava
University by Law No. 191/1992 in March 1992. This University, in
the ancient town of Trnava, is closely connected with the
historical traditions of the former 17th and 18th century
University.

The Faculty of Pedagogy and the Faculty of Humanities will be
oriented toward the development of those fields of study which
were either suppressed or completely absent during the forty
years of the Communist regime.

Dr Anton Hajduk was nominated by CSFR President Vaclav Havel to
be Rector of Trnava University and given the responsibility to
create a University in a new democratic spirit.

Under the changed socio-political conditions in the CSFR (Czech
and Slovak Federative Republic), especially in Slovakia after
1992 elections, Rector Dr A. Hajduk, his co-workers, and the
University's teaching staff, became the subject of interference
by the current political powers; this interference is
unacceptable because of its inconsistency with the ideal of
academic freedom.

The nomination of Dr A. Hajduk as Rector is now in doubt. The
Ministers of Education and Science of the Slovak Republic changed
the locks at the University, and they froze the University's
bank account, thus removing the financial means necessary to
begin the new school year. All mass media in the CSFR and even
abroad (see enclosure: The Times Higher Education Supplement)
inform in detail about the so-called Trnava University Causa.

In this connection, we kindly ask you to express your solidarity
in any possible way. Please address your response to:

Anton Hajduk
  rector
Trnava University
917 24 Trnava
Czecho-Slovakia

Matus Kucera
  minister
Ministry of Education and Science
813 30 Bratislava
Czecho-Slovakia

                                  signed:
                                            PhDr Michal Slivka, CSc.
                                            President of the Senate
                                            of Trnava University
                                            917 24 Trnava

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Fact file:

1. Trnava was the site of the first university on Slovak soil
founded in 1635 and moved to Budapest in 1777.

2. On March 25 1992 the Slovak Parliament reconstituted Trnava
University with effect from July 1 1992 and established a
parliamentary commission to ensure the high quality of the
University personnel. The commission members were: the Minister
of Education, Professor J. Pisut, the President of Slovak Academy
of Sciences (SAS), RNDr L. Macho, DrSc, the Scientific Secretary
of SAS, RNDr A. Hajduk, DrSc, the head of the board of
accreditation RNDr Smital, DrSc, and the Mayor of Trnava, Ing.
Borbely. This comission nominated RNDr A. Hajduk, DrSc, for
Rector.

3. On May 12 1992 RNDr A. Hajduk, DrSc, was appointed Rector by
President V. Havel.

4. On May 20 1992 parliamentary commission established a
preparation committee of Trnava University headed by RNDr A.
Hajduk, DrSc.

5. On July 8 1992 a member of the new Slovak Parliament, Head of
the regional office of HZDS (the victorious political party in
Slovakia) A. Matejka, and Prof. Kovac asked to investigate the
procedure of establishing Trnava University. They proposed the
appointment of Prof Kovac (the former head of the Communist Party
organization at the Pedagogical University in Trnava) as Rector.

6. On July 28 1992 Minister of Culture D. Slobodnik asked the
federal Prime Minister J. Strasky to cancel the decision of the
former President V. Havel and to appoint a new rector of the
Trnava University -- Prof Kovac. Dr Strasky explained he lacked
the authority to withdraw someone appointed by the President.

7. Minister D. Slobodnik declared the appointment of Dr Hajduk
legally invalid and asked Dr Hajduk to resign and forward his
agenda to Prof Kovac.

8. On July 27 1992 Dr Hajduk explained to minister Slobodnik the
procedure of his appointment.

9. On August 31 1992 Minister Slobodnik appointed Doc. L. Harach
to lead Trnava University.

10. On September 7 1992 Minister D. Slobodnik once more informed
Dr Hajduk that his appointment was legally invalid and asked him
to forward his agenda to Doc. L. Harach.

11. Slovak Premier V. Meciar in his speech (broadcasted by radio)
labeled the Trnava University as "a center of opportunists"
(meaning probably the political opposition).

12. On September 18 1992 Federal Prime Minister Strasky informed
the Senate of the Trnava University that there were no obstacles
to continuing in their work in accordance with the law.

13. On September 25 1992 the new Minister of Education and
Science Dr Kucera ordered an investigation of the financial
dealings of the University. No irregularities were found.

14. On September 26 1992, the daily newspaper SMENA carried the
information that the bank account of the University was frozen by
the Minister of Education and Science. In this way the
administration of the University received the information. No
direct communication from the ministerial office took place.

15. On September 24-26 the Council of the Universities recognized
the legal status of the senate of Trnava University and the Club
of Rectors refused to take position regarding the case of Trnava
University.

16. On October 1 the board of accreditation refused to accept the
criticism of curricula and the teaching staff brought forward by
Minister D. Slobodnik.

17. On November 8 1992 the ceremony of the University
inauguration was carried out by the Archbishop of Trnava Mr Sokol.

18. October 14 1992 "Universitas Tyrnaviensis" foundation is
founded and officially registered under ref.no. 17/1647/1992
in Bratislava. The foundation aims to support independent
development of Trnava University. Contributions can be directed
to Volksbanken-AG, A-1011 Wien (Austria), Postfach 95, DVR:0066907,
SWIFT:VBOEATWW, account number 4000173305, account name
"Universitas Tyrnaviensis".

19. Slovak Parliament is scheduled to vote about abandoning
Trnava University on November 17 1992.

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An article from The Times Higher Education Supplement, September 18 1992

Former Communist Chief in fight to replace rector
(from Jessica Douglas-Home, Bratislava)

Slovaks are resuscitation the once thriving 17th-century
university at Trnava in an attempt to restore genuine higher
education in their country. The new institution, with two strong
faculties in pedagogy and humanities, will complement existing
universities within the republic while being free to develop
unencumbered by the Communist old guard.

But at the start of the first term this week, things were far
from well. It was not for lack of students: there were 3,000
applications for 200 places. Neither was it for lack of staff: 42
teachers have been selected. Nor was it for want of a suitable
rector: Anton Hajduk, a doctor of astronomy and former secretary
of the Academy of Sciences, was endorsed by president Vaclav
Havel after Slovak parliament agreed to the independent
university last March.

Moreover, Trnava residents are proud of their new university
which emphasizes high moral character among students and offers
study in new and free conditions. The university is
internationally recognised and has strong board of Western
academics of all political persuasions.

Trnava's problems stem from the June elections, when the
political climate in Slovakia changed radically. The Slovak vote
went to Vladimir Meciar, initiating the break-up of the
Czechoslovakia federation. As from last Thursday, Slovaks have
their own constitution and a separate nation.

Prime minister Meciar's new team of ministers consists, for the
most part, of representatives of the old ethos, and Dr Hajduk's
position and the autonomy of the university are now in jeopardy.

On August 26, the day before the university commission was to
meet to accept Trnava's lecturers, the new education minister
arrived from Bratislava with a "replacement" to Dr Hajduk --
Julius Kovac, a former Communist Party leader. Dr Hajduk refused
to resign.

On August 31, a group from the ministry came again with another
candidate, Ing. Harrach. This time Dr Hajduk told them he was
busy and asked them to return the following day. When the
officials returned they were forced to attend the inauguration.

The meeting, packed with local dignitaries, was in full swing. An
archbishop made a speech condemning the ministry's behaviour. The
Trnava mayor spoke vehemently in support of Dr Hajduk, and
described Professor Kovac's appointment as morally unacceptable.

During his speech, Dr Hajduk launched into a passionate argument
in favour of university freedom and autonomy. The ministry
officials lingered in indignant silence before returning without
word to Bratislava.

On August 24, confusing communications ensued between the
ministry and Jan Strasky, federal prime minister and now acting
head of state in succession to Mr Havel. In one letter, Mr
Strasky declines to appoint a new rector because he does not have
the power to remove the first one. In a second letter he declares
Dr Hajduk's nomination invalid because he was not elected by the
Senate -- which at the time did not exist.

Dr Hajduk is planning to refer the case to the constitutional
court to discover whether Mr Strasky has the power to make this
decision. Meanwhile, the university will be led by a vice-rector
who was appointed by the senate.

Trnava University's board is now calling upon Western academics
to support Dr Hajduk and the new university in their struggle to
create an independent institution free of party politics. A
support campaign is being organised in London by the Jan Hus
Educational Foundation.

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Letters to the editor section from The Times Higher Educational
Supplement September 25 1992:

Shut and open in Slovakia

Madam, -- Since Jessica Douglas-Home wrote her article about
events at Trnava University in Slovakia (THES, September 18),
there has been another disturbing incident. Last week when the
Rektor, Dr Anton Hajduk, and some of his senior staff tried to
enter the university's main building they found the door locked
on orders of the government.

They were able eventually to enter because the mayor of Trnava, a
sympathiser, declared the building was legally the property not
of the government but of the town. He gave orders that the door
should be unlocked. Nothwithstanding this minor victory it is the
view of informed observers in Slovakia that Dr Hajduk will not be
able to hold on much longer. There are fears that this heralds a
wider offensive by the new Meciar government on academic freedom
in the newly independent country.

Frank Bealey
Department of politics, University of Aberdeen


Madam, -- With reference to Jessica Douglas-Home article in your
issue of September 18, I would like to clarify the position of
the Jan Hus Educational Foundation.

The foundation fully supports Dr Hajduk as the legally appointed
Rector of Trnava University in Slovakia, and will cooperate with
him in his work of restoring academic standards.

The foundation was formed in 1980 to support Czechs and Slovaks
who rejected the totalitarian communist ideology and maintained
academic standards by teaching freely in the underground
university and in official institutions. As a charitable and
educational foundation it was not involved in political
activities (although many colleagues were subsequently
responsible for the democratic revolution in November 1989).

The foundation is now independently registered in the Czech and
Slovak federal republic, with a board of Czech and Slovak
trustees. It has been increasingly active in Slovakia,
co-operating with universities in Bratislava, Kosice and Presov,
and with the Slovak Academy of Arts and Sciences. It has provided
links between Slovak and western academics, and will be working
in the same way with Dr Hajduk at Trnava University.

Barbara Day,
Director, Jan Hus Educational Foundation

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