DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN SCIENCE MINISTRY, UNIVERSITY CHANCELLOR

ZAGREB, April 5 (Hina) - The cabinet of Croatia's Science and Technology Minister Hrvoje Kraljevic issued a statement on Thursday accusing Zagreb University Chancellor Branko Jeren of boycotting reforms at Croatian universities. The statement was a reaction to Chancellor Jeren's claim that the autonomy of the university in Croatia was jeopardised. At yesterday's news conference, Jeren conveyed the concern of the association of European universities Magna Charta Observatory of Fundamental University Values and Rights about possible internal and external threats to the institutional autonomy of Croatian universities. Kraljevic says this is not the first time Jeren is raising the issue of the protection of university autonomy from the attacks of the state authority before foreign institutions. Kraljevic reminds that the Zagreb University Senate was the staunchest opponent of university reforms, which envisaged the integration of faculties into a single legal entity by state authorities and universities. "Since Chancellor Branko Jeren has been at its head, Zagreb University has never expressed the intention of integrating its existing splintered entities and when this was suggested by the Ministry, its conduct was proclaimed "the violation of university autonomy," reads the Ministry statement. The Ministry denies that the Magna Charta Observatory statement is directed against the Croatian government and stresses that the country's democratic government cannot carry out its decisions by force. "If the entire academic community, particularly the leading faculties, whose interests Jeren represents, do not want an integrated university, then one should not look for culprits in the government as regards possible problems in Croatia's institutions of higher education," reads the statement from Kraljevic's cabinet. (hina) rml