AFTER a meeting with Slovak Rectors Conference President Juraj Sinay, Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda reported that Sk25 million (€640,000) has been allocated to evaluate the quality of universities.
According to Dzurinda, the amount of state subsidy will depend on the universities' quality in the future. "Evaluation of our universities should take place, so that it's clear which ones are the best. Thus, we will be able to fund them respectively," he said.
The evaluation will be both internal and external. Universities will be responsible for the internal part and the European Universities Association (AEU) will be in charge of the external evaluations, the TASR news wire reported.
Education Minister Martin Fronc is expected to submit a proposal of a cooperation contract with the AEU in two months time. "If all goes well, the universities should have prepared a self-evaluation report, in English, by the end of 2005 so that the external evaluation can start in 2006," Sinay said.
The project should take place simultaneously with the Portuguese Rectors' Conference initiative. The process of external evaluation could be speeded up by the fact that the EU Commissioner responsible for education Ján Figel is a Slovak, according to Sinay.
Most of the universities representatives agree on the need for quality evaluation, because 17 out of 23 state and private universities have the word "university" in their name. Sinay thinks that considering the number of Slovak citizens there should be five universities in Slovakia receiving more funding for science and research.
Compiled by Beata Balogová from press reports
The
Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information
presented in its Flash News postings.
15. Jun 2005 at 10:59
