Pedagogs in Albania threaten hunger strike if no demands are met

They have come up with a joint statement showing all their demands, where one of them is also a meeting with Prime Minister Edi Rama.

Full Declaration

Forum Declaration on academic freedom and university autonomy

The forum for academic freedoms and university autonomy has attended with concern recent developments in Albanian public universities created by the blocking of the Albanian government's wage fund, which has led to a lack of wages for the academic body and administrative staff of public universities. Such a situation has triggered the revolt and fair response of dozens of professors and of the world's most popular Albanian university personalities. In recognition of their response as well as the responsibility and mission the forum has imposed on itself since its establishment in 2007, the forum's co-ordinator group met late last night and after analysis of the situation created at the university decided to address colleagues, public opinion, elected university institutions and responsible government institutions with this statement.

The created situation is a significant consequence of the higher education law long rejected by UT academic troops and the forum

The Albanian government, with its actions and failures, must maintain responsibility for blocking salaries and for the overall blocking of work at Albanian universities. The popular public explanation does not solve any of the real problems the university has today. Representatives of state on the administration board are part of the deadlock. The forum thinks the government is allianceing with the cast, which is responsible for the current situation at the university by burdening it more. University salaries are the lowest in the region, and this is the government's responsibility. The wage fund is covered only partially by the government (9 out of 12 months), and that is the government's responsibility. Government scientific research funds are the lowest in Europe, and this is the government's responsibility. The government should finally sit down with us, the academic body, to bring together responsibilities and find solutions.

Management structures stemming from this law: The administration board and managers who have been running the University of Tirana for over two years are the main responsibilities for the situation created, and this is not only about wages. They, with the arrogance of political commissioners, not only are they the cause of the crisis but deliberately attempt to humiliate the academic and administrative body by not giving an explanation to the assembly, the Senate, department responsible, deans and university sector for its creation

This is the first visible sign of the UT management crisis that cannot be explained only with disability. Administrators and the management board have created an unprecedented state of university impasse for over a year. The board and administrators do not represent university interests, but the political interests and occult groups of university registers that have dominated UT for 20 years.

UT representatives such institutions as Senate and elected authorities at all levels, including department responsibles, deans and rectors, have not acted quickly and effectively in defense of UT's interests, allowing a continued degradation of the UT situation.

Given the state created at the university, the forum board has established the organisation of a meeting of university teachers, students and officials to discuss and make decisions on the following issues:

No salary crossing

To determine steps and modalities for the dismissal of the UT administration and administration board.

To determine the steps and negotiating group with the prime minister and education minister for finding modalities to unlock the university and return it to functional and democratic normality. The government must take over full payment of the government grant for wages, which currently covers only 9 months out of 12 months of UT salaries and should launch financial procedures for equalising salaries at the university with that of regional nations (at least the salary rate in the Republic of Kosovo)

Opening a debate within the university with elected organs on the implementation of accreditation standards, quality of teaching, scientific work and reconceptive UT's role in the field of knowledge and society

The forum's co-ordinator group has the full conviction that the state of submission of the academic body leads to the decomposing of the UT and that a movement to cope with this situation, where there is no exception to the calling of a general strike in case of the rejection of negotiations or their failure, is just as essential.

Forum Coordinator for academic freedoms and university autonomy

Prof. Assoc. Dr. Mark Mark Mark