Professors join protesting students for one-day strike
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- The strike was held after a decision by the professors’ assembly, as it was concluded that the government decisions taken at the end of December are in contradiction with the European spirit of university rights.
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TIRANA, Jan. 21 - Professors from the history-philology faculty at the University of Tirana held today a one-day strike in support of student protests and in opposition to some government decisions that violate, according to them, university autonomy.
The strike was held after a decision by the professors’ assembly, as it was concluded that the government decisions taken at the end of December are in contradiction with the European spirit of university rights.
In late December, the government took a series of decisions in response to the eight student demands the university protests are based on.
But instead of satisfying students, the government’s decisions caused it to also lock horns with professors, violating university autonomy under the initiative to draft statutes for universities and determine books and scientific titles.
Head of the Department of Journalism at the Faculty of History-Philology Dr. Mark Marku said university autonomy is based on the freedom of scientific research, scientific work with students and on the content of teaching.
According to him, the government’s latest laws violate all three of these basic elements.
Assemblies of professors from all faculties are expected to gather in order to take an unanimous decision on the steps to follow.
Meanwhile, the public universities’ students protest has entered its sixth week since it started at the beginning of December.
Massive street rallies have been replaced by boycotts and isolation in the faculty's interior environments, while authorities are trying to persuade students to return to auditions but without touching the controversial law on higher education.
