Resolution

The Czech Rectors Conference (CRC) Presidium is surprised by the tone and the content of the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports statement dated 19 January 2012 that has denounced the Rector of Charles University in Prague from inciting students to riots, in the first version of the statement even to “social disquiet".

At the same time the CRC Presidium emphasizes that the factual intention of a higher education institutions act submitted to the government, unfortunately, is not based on the CRC material "The idea of tertiary education reform" published two years ago.

The CRC Presidium does not consider appropriate if the politician – or even departmental minister – calls up the CRC President or Rector of any public higher education institution, including our oldest university, in a similar way as in the statement mentioned above. That is why the majority of academic community is afraid of political and power interventions to public higher education institutions autonomy that could be by the adopting of the criticized factual intention of a higher education institutions act henceforth almost legalized.

Prague, 23 January 2012