BRATISLAVA, January 24, (WEBNOVINY) — Higher educational institutions in Slovakia have 111 new professors as of Monday, including thirty-one women. President Ivan Gasparovic appointed them in the historical building of the Slovak Parliament. Among the new professors are ex-chief sanitary officer Ivan Rovny (public healthcare) and Jozef Miklosko (social work) from the NGO Smile as a Gift (Usmev Ako Dar).
In his address at the ceremony, the head of state drew attention to professors responsibility for the quality of university education. He said he believes that in the following years the professors appointed on Tuesday will serve as an example of scientific and pedagogical work. Specialization of new professors includes a wide scope from humanities to natural sciences.
The last time the president appointed new professors was on June 29 when 54 new professors, among them 14 women, joined the academic elite. Over six and a half years in office, the president has already appointed seven hundred professors.
Originally, President Gasparovic was supposed to appoint the new professors last Monday. He however canceled the ceremony due to strong reservations towards the number of professors and the criteria for their appointment. The head of state demanded a fundamental change in the system of granting professorships, as he thinks that some higher educational institutions produce too many professors. The current system of guarantors of study fields currently forces schools to generate more professors. The president also pointed out that he has to appoint professors who gained professorship in another scientific field than the one in which they are active. He hinted that private schools are a problem. According to Gasparovic, the president should appoint professors and a rector of schools, which are really state-run institutions, and which work with a state guarantee while the minister should appoint professors and rectors of private schools or another system should be invented, according to the head of state.
SITA