In the midst of a heated debate on political ideologies and academic freedom, the Plenary Assembly unanimously approved regulations that enable the Disciplinary Control Committee (CDC) of the University of Cyprus to take specific actions in relation to the exercise of disciplinary control and the imposition of disciplinary sanctions on members of academic and other teaching staff.
The provisions of the above regulations will apply by analogy to members of the academic and other teaching staff of the Cyprus University of Technology.
The proposed regulations were brought forward for the purposes of compliance with observations of the Audit Office contained in its report on the University of Cyprus for the year 2015, which recorded the existence of a gap in the legal framework governing the exercise of disciplinary control over members of the academic and other teaching staff of the University of Cyprus.
The debate that followed in plenary was intense, following an observation by ELAM MP Sotiris Ioannou that a small minority of academics have violated the codes of ethics and honesty and remain in their positions. In particular, he said that an academic of the University of Cyprus, who was an AKEL candidate, stated that he was cutting his students because they support ELAM, while another referred to ripsy Famagusta residents who should have stayed and been buried by the Turks in 1974. He referred to insults to the Greeks of Cyprus and threats to students and said that the insolence and impudence of some academics is not democracy.
Limassol MP Andreas Themistocleous added that the name of an academic who is in the central prison for committing a serious criminal offence continues to appear on the academic institution's website, adding that academics have confused autonomy in studies, programmes and research with promiscuity and bingeing. He also spoke of a violation of constitutional provisions by the country's highest intellectual institution, arguing that the provisions are old and they do not like them.
AKEL MP Christos Christofides replied that some people have a problem with freedom of expression and academic autonomy and in fact with science itself, which prevents their metaphysical and extreme approaches. He admitted that there was a psychology professor who said that if a student declares himself a supporter of Hitler then he cannot promote him and agreed that if such people with misanthropic positions want to have a degree in psychology there is obviously an issue.
DIKO MP Panicos Leonidou said that the concept of exercising parliamentary control has been misunderstood and that a category of people who are the cream of the crop of intellectuals cannot be flattened and blasted such attitudes. He said that though there were some instances in the universities which were dealt with and dealt with by the laws of the state, it was a pity to identify these people with some offenders who came to exploit the system. Adding that the Parliament is coming to fill the gaps that exist today.
PPP MP Alekos Tryfonidis said that undoubtedly everything cannot be flattened and nullified and there are excellent academics. On the other hand, he criticised the operation of public universities without disciplinary regulations until now.
In his second speech, Mr Themistocleous referred to examples that are not a model of good administration, such as the tolerance of the rector of the University of Cyprus and the elected MEP of AKEL for violating the constitution on the grounds that they do not like it. He also spoke of certificates of conduct from the University professor Stavrinidis, so that he can check whether someone will turn into a Nazi or Stalinist and cut off their wings from the age of 20. Darkness, hubris, totalitarianism cannot be dealt with by his methods, but only by the prevalence of democratic principles, he added.
DIKO MP Pavlos Mylonas said that the Education Committee did a lot of work on the issue of disciplinary control regulations and after a long time of being in drawers they came to a result.
AKEL MP Irene Charalambidou said that as a psychologist she believes that Hitler and fascism border on mental disorder and a teacher is right to take this position.
In his second speech, Mr Ioannou said that AKEL as ideological descendants of Stalin who sent people to the gulags and bloodied humanity is wagging its finger at them.
Christofides said that it is on record who AKEL has been for decades and its struggles for freedom, democracy and social justice.
It is known who supports what destroyed the country and misanthropic ideologies, he added.
ELAM President Christos Christou said his father was on the front line in 1974 and his uncle is a war invalid. He added that in the 55-59 period AKEL betrayed the national struggle and misused 1974 to hold seats in parliament.
DISY parliamentary representative Nikos Tornaritis said the debate had been exhausted and asked to stick to the substance of the issue.
Source: CNA
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