Test before the Assembly of the Sarajevo Canton: Will political force be exerted over the University of Sarajevo

On Monday, July 31, the Assembly of the Sarajevo Canton will be held, which will also include the Proposal of the Law on Higher Education, about which the academic community has not had the opportunity to give its opinion, writes the Patria agency.

We remind you that after the Draft Law on Higher Education was withdrawn at the session on May 31, a public debate was held to harmonize the views of the academic community, representatives of the University of Sarajevo and private universities, and the Government of the Sarajevo Canton, i.e., the relevant ministry as the creator of the law. The public debate was held on June 7, and the Ministry of Education submitted to the Government of the Sarajevo Canton the Proposal of the Law on Higher Education, which has been conceptually changed compared to the withdrawn draft.

Thus, the Proposal of the Law now has two parts, one relating to higher education and the other covering the University of Sarajevo.

The academic community believes that this Proposal has violated the procedure, and that the text is contradictory, unenforceable, and vague. Also, the area of higher education is over-regulated.

The Senate of the University of Sarajevo has taken the position that the Proposal of the Law in this form and with disputed provisions is unacceptable. At the session of the Assembly of the Sarajevo Canton, the rector of the University of Sarajevo, Rifat Škrijelj, should also address.

The law introduces treasury operations for the University of Sarajevo, which formally extinguishes the legal personality of 31 organizational units (25 faculties and scientific research institutes). Numerous international projects, the development of scientific research work, and the very position of the University of Sarajevo are called into question...

Željko Šain, vice-rector for finance of the University of Sarajevo, said that the best solution would be to create a treasury at the university level, while the founder would control every second and every mark.

- The mission of the University is being stifled; this is a way of not wanting to build a normal country. This is a demotivating law. I consulted with smart minds from the legal sphere – can such a law be implemented in practice from the standpoint of extinguishing 31 legal entities and registering one legal entity. Everyone said it is impossible in a short period – said Šain.

The deadline for transitioning to the treasury is six months.

Another problem is the powers of the Management Board, which will be able to dismiss the rector and deans even though they are elected by another body. According to the current law, the rector is dismissed by the Senate, and deans by the teaching-scientific councils of organizational units.

According to this Proposal, both the Senate and the Management Board have the same powers!?

A particular objection is that too much freedom is given to private universities, which are direct competition to the University of Sarajevo. For example, there is no restriction on professors from public faculties teaching at private ones. In the Sarajevo Canton alone, there are four private universities and one higher school within the University of BiH.

From the academic community, they openly ask whether the Government of Prime Minister Elmedin Konaković aims to weaken the best and oldest university in BiH and in whose interests it is doing so.

It should be noted that this year, about 2,000 fewer students enrolled at the University of Sarajevo than in previous years. At the Faculty of Medicine alone, in the first enrollment period, 150 fewer students were enrolled than last year. A private Faculty of Medicine exists within the Sarajevo School of Science and Technology, although the validity of the issued diplomas is questionable given that irregularities were found in the decisions of rector Ejup Ganić.

Prime Minister Konaković publicly stated that he "does not see why anyone would make a problem anymore and that the law will pass." Here, Konaković has taken over the powers of the Assembly of the Sarajevo Canton and the 35 representatives who should vote on the law.

From the Senate of the University of Sarajevo, it was stated that they will fight for their rights and the University, and that politics should stop exerting violence over this most significant educational institution in BiH.