The Academic Senate of the Slovak University of Technology (STU) in Bratislava approved a proposal to dismiss chancellor Miroslav Fikar. The proposal criticised Fikar for his alleged managerial failure in dealing with a critical situation at the IT faculty earlier this year, involving the mass resignations of lecturers, as well as for the way in which he created the university budget, a general decline in young people's interest in studying at the school, and other issues. Fikar has acknowledged some "mistakes", adding that he'd take a lesson from them.
Education Minister Branislav Groehling (SaS) has bemoaned on Facebook the dismissal of Chancellor Fikar by the Academic Senate on Monday. "I view it as unfortunate that one of Slovakia's best universities has ended up with many lecturers leaving one it its foremost faculties, and that the chancellor - who was attempting to put the situation in order - has been dismissed," wrote Groehling, noting that the Education Ministry has no tools by which it can reverse the decision. "Unfortunately, the self-governance of academia has some pitfalls and this is one of them," said the minister.
