RECTORS of twelve Slovak universities and colleges are distancing themselves from
some of the statements made by Slovak Rectors’ Conference and Rector of the University of Constantine the Philosopher in Nitra Libor Vozár for Sme on August 13.
Vozár was interviewed by Sme daily about the Slovak education system in connection with suspicions that have emerged in the last few months in the Slovak media regarding the way some Slovak politicians have obtained their academic degrees.
“We consider statements by Libor Vozár to the content, level and the quality of university
education in Slovakia, about university educators and granting academic and scientific-pedagogical titles, [to be] his personal opinions and although he worded them as president of the Slovak Rectors’ Conference, these do not reflect the stance of the respective universities and colleges,” reads the statement sent to the media.
Vozár claimed that the majority of schools do not lie about the degrees, adding that
he still feels that degrees are an issue attractive to the media, especially when it comes to politicians. The rector does not think that parents, when picking a school for their kids, look at the quality of schools through the prism of the quality of degrees.
Even though he admits that stripping degrees in instances of big professional failure is acceptable, “I am not an advocate of stripping degrees,” said Vozár, as quoted by Sme in response to questions about dealing with cases in which someone does not fulfil the university’s criteria.
The most recent doubts to have emerged involve the validity of a doctorate granted in 2007 to Ján Figeľ, the leader of the opposition Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), after a separate report in Sme suggesting that Figeľ’s position as a European commissioner at the time had contributed to the decision to grant him a PhD.
