Academic freedoms at BiH universities increasingly threatened by political pressure

(Patria) - At universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, autonomy and academic freedoms are increasingly threatened by political pressure, while higher education is preoccupied with defending its own institutional independence rather than reforms and development, it was stated today at a session of the Association of Independent Intellectuals "Krug 99" on the topic "Autonomy and Academic Freedoms of Universities in BiH and the European Space".

The introductory speakers were the Rector of the University of Zenica, Jusuf Duraković, former Rector of the University of Sarajevo, Muharem Avdispahić, and former Rector of the University "Džemal Bijedić" in Mostar, Elvir Zlomušica.

Duraković warned that there is little talk about academic freedoms in Bosnia and Herzegovina, although university autonomy and academic self-governance are guaranteed by the Framework Law on Higher Education of BiH.

According to him, the problem arises because lower levels of government, primarily cantons, often do not respect higher legal acts, which opens the door for political influence on university management.

He pointed out that the University of Zenica has received four decisions from the Constitutional Court of BiH in the last four years, declaring certain provisions of the cantonal Law on Higher Education unconstitutional and inconsistent with the state framework law.

He recalled that the contested provisions were those that gave cantonal authorities consent for the election of the rector and vice-rectors, the right of the management board to adopt university statutes, as well as the possibility of dismissing the rector.

- We have a problem with arrogant politics and authorities that want to place the University of Zenica under complete political control - said Duraković.

He emphasized that an additional problem is the fact that the issue of harmonizing laws with the Framework Law can only be opened through court proceedings, after which the regular court decides whether to forward the case to the Constitutional Court of BiH.

Speaking about European experiences, Avdispahić recalled that the university is among the few institutions that have maintained continuity and a recognizable social role throughout the centuries.

He stated that the European tradition of higher education is based on academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and university self-governance, from the Humboldt tradition to the contemporary European higher education area.

He also recalled the Magna Charta Universitatum from 1988, signed by the rectors of European universities, including the University of Sarajevo, emphasizing that this document confirms the inseparability of higher education, research, and university autonomy.

Avdispahić stated that the contemporary European model implies that the state defines the legal framework, strategic goals, and overall grant for financing, while the university independently manages funds, plans development, and makes academic decisions.

- The key European principle is that the state defines the goals, and the university chooses the academic mechanisms for their realization, not that the ministry operatively manages academic decisions - said Avdispahić.

He also assessed that the existing treasury operations model raises the question of whether universities are independent public institutions or merely administrative users of budget funds.

Zlomušica warned that universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina lag behind most countries formed from the breakup of former Yugoslavia, and he sees one of the reasons precisely in the threatened autonomy of higher education institutions.

He stated that universities are too preoccupied with themselves and political pressures, instead of reforms and inclusion in processes that would bring them closer to the quality of European universities.

According to him, the interference of political parties and religious communities in the work of universities is evident, but also the lack of stronger resistance within the academic community itself.

As an example of resistance to pressure, he cited the University of Belgrade, which in recent years, as he said, has been exposed to strong political attacks.

Zlomušica assessed that university autonomy in BiH today is, to a greater or lesser extent, threatened at all higher education institutions.