Higher education institutions in Slovakia should merge, Education Minister Ján Mikolaj told a press conference after a meeting of the Slovak Rectors Conference (SRK) in Žilina on Thursday, September 25.
"There are too many higher education institutions and it is not so much our intention to cancel them, but to have them merge into bigger entities," Mikolaj stated. Rectors and the minister expect the number of schools to fall after the current process of complex accreditation is completed. "I have explained to the rectors that all schools will have about one year to fix the results of accreditation or to consider merging with other universities," the minister said.
According to the rector of Žilina University, the process of universities being shut down is also common abroad. In order to improve the competitive strength of the Slovak educational system, an amendment to the University Act will open the market to foreign schools. "If a foreign school fulfils the criteria, it can also receive subsidies for a Slovak student, like a public university," Mikolaj said. Accredited study programmes will be subject to approval by Slovakia's Education Ministry. The Education Minister also informed rectors about other changes in the draft amendment to the University Act. The amendment will increase the mobility of university students, allowing them to transfer from one university to another, with the approval of an appropriate guarantor and the dean. SITA
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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