Czech rectors, ministry agree on university reform

Consequently, the long-prepared university reform might be eventually pushed through this year, he added.

Representatives of universities agreed with the ministry, for instance, on the new system of schools´ accreditations and on the appointment of professors and docents (senior lecturers).

Education Minister Petr Fiala wants to present the respective document to the government in May.

Hampl indicated that the reform amendment would be quickly completed.

University students as well as lecturers protested against the planned reform in the streets in the past years.

However, their stance is yet to depend of the concrete final version of the draft.

At the rectors´ meeting today, Fiala said the appointment of professors and docents would remain the same, that is these academic titles would be valid nationwide.

According to the original proposal, they should apply only to a concrete university that granted them.

Rectors and the ministry also found consensus on accreditations.

The Accreditation Commission criticised the originally proposed system, saying the universities´ assessment would be chaotic with unclear rules.

The amendment to the university law should also change the system of higher-education institutions´ funding. They should be divided into research, educational and profession-oriented ones.

Changes to the university law have been prepared for many years.

Unlike his predecessors, Fiala has not met with any strong resistance of university circles.

As rector of Brno´s Masaryk University, Fiala himself criticised some reform plans of the Education Ministry in the past.

Author: ČTK
www.ctk.cz