COMMENTARY Stifling Public Discourse: Rector Škrijelj Threatens Lawsuits in Response to Professors' Appeal

By Armin Aljović

Professors at the University of Sarajevo have issued a public appeal to the academic community, the public, and future authorities in Sarajevo, demanding swift action to save the country's largest university.

The public letter, published on Friday, was signed by 31 faculty members. The faculty warn about the importance of university autonomy, point to the harm of excessive centralization at UNSA, express outrage over the neglect of scientific research, and call for continuous rejuvenation of staff to prevent the university from collapsing in terms of personnel... The professors issued a dramatic warning: "Further erosion of UNSA through the loss of autonomy, as well as the loss of subjectivity of its organizational units, will cause irreparable damage to the entire social community."

Then politics intervened. The University Rector, Rifat Škrijelj (SDA), did not defend the professors! He assessed the letter as a call for his downfall and threatened to inform the relevant authorities about the matter. Although this has been discussed for some time, Škrijelj, in an effort to save his position, publicly exposed party politics: "Professors must not have a public voice." Thus, formally and legally, Škrijelj confirmed that the University of Sarajevo is likely the only one in the world where professors' public statements are considered a problem.

Speaking to Dnevni Avaz, Saturday's edition, Professor Salih Fočo warns that with the current policy towards the University of Sarajevo, it will become a social university where only those with nowhere else to study will remain, and professors will become mere lecturers. "The University of Sarajevo is the biggest development investment in BiH... Cantonal authorities have decided to place such an investment under political control, to subordinate professors to administrative and technical tasks, which is contrary to the very nature of a university." "This is our appeal for salvation," said Fočo. Professor Marinko Pejić and former UNSA Rector Nedžad Mulabegović share the same opinion: "Autonomy has not been achieved, politics is above all," warns Pejić.

One of the signatories of the letter, Professor Asim Mujkić, told Oslobođenje that the academic community is being systematically ignored. "The goal, I fear, is to reduce or destroy its spirit – and its spirit lies in research – and to reduce it to this bureaucratic dimension."

In response to such appeals from the professors, Rector Škrijelj replied: "I will not speak to the media; documents have already been forwarded to the competent institutions!" Precisely from the person expected to show the most understanding for academic freedoms and freedom of thought in general – the head of the academic community – comes an arrogant THREAT to the signatories who advocate for the freedom and prosperity of UNSA. Paradoxically, such a public statement from the rector testifies – likely contrary to his intention – to the tragic situation UNSA is currently in. This is precisely one of the strong arguments in favor of the APPEAL.

The role of the Speaker of the Sarajevo Canton Assembly Elmedin Konaković (Narod i pravda) and deputy speakers Danijela Kristić (Narod i pravda) and Vibor Handžić (Naša stranka) is also unclear and confusing. During a visit to the rector on Friday, Konaković praised some of the rector's moves, as well as the university's transition to treasury operations. Not a single word was mentioned about the professors' appeal. "There are faculties that can be commercial in nature, and this precisely confirms the thesis that treasury operations are a good thing, as well as the fact that salaries will now be certain and stable." This statement by Konaković contradicts the statements of his coalition partners in the canton, primarily SDP and DF.

Damir Mašić from SDP announced a few days earlier changes to the Law on Higher Education after the formation of a parliamentary majority; "We call on the Minister of Education in the Sarajevo Canton Government (Elvir Kazazović), who is in a technical mandate, as well as the University Rector (Rifat Škrijelj) not to take any hasty steps at the University, because it is evident that we will have a new parliamentary majority, which will not have the same view of the University as the previous government had," said Mašić.

The head of the DF Club in the Sarajevo Canton Assembly, Senad Hasanović, told Patria that the Club will, after the formation of the government, seek, among other things, the urgent depoliticization of the University, "because the University cannot function under political pressure."

In an analysis published on Wednesday, which also mentions political pressure from SDA on the University of Sarajevo, the International Institute for Middle Eastern and Balkan Studies IFIMES from Ljubljana stated: "The transition to treasury operations has also threatened the autonomous functioning of this leading higher education and scientific institution in BiH." IFIMES regularly monitors developments in the Western Balkans and has special consultative status with the UN.

Professor Fočo speaks of the University as the biggest development investment that must not fall under the influence of politics, while Konaković reduces the University to a shopping mall that can generate money.