Colleges hope that the title of docent could be revoked.
Ministry of Education and Culture is currently preparing an amendment to the University Act, which would allow the title of docent to be revoked, says the Minister of Science and Culture Antti Kurvinen (middle).
The question is that we have a loophole in the University Act in a certain way, says Kurvinen.
At present, universities do not have the option of revoking the title of docent they have awarded. According to the University of Helsinki, it has not been necessary to find out whether the docent could relinquish his title.
Need the docent in particular has risen to the change Johan Bäckman actions. Bäckman has represented the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies (RISI) under the Russian President. He has said he represents separatists in eastern Ukraine and has often appeared in public in Russia.
“I especially don’t want his person to go to Sweden. I am now speaking on a general level that it is noticeable that the world of universities, colleges and science and research can also be used for such information influence, and that there is an effort to wage information warfare and hybrid influence, ”says Kurvinen.
“By no means should the law be enacted or changed for the sake of one person,” Kurvinen emphasizes.
According to Kurvinen, the issue has been discussed in the academic community for a long time.
Docent the title is awarded in recognition of scientific merit. Above all, the value of an associate professor is an indication that its holder is a respected member of the university community who is recognized as scientifically and educationally competent in his or her field.
The initiative to change the law came from universities, says Kurvinen. The Council of Rectors of Finnish Universities, Unifi ry, is currently considering criteria for removing the title. Unif is due to make a proposal by April 15 on how the university regulations on the title of docent and professor should be amended.
The ministry will then prepare a proposal for the government.
“My goal is for Parliament to have the matter addressed this year.”
Justification The revocation of a docent’s title in a future law could be, for example, that the person commits a serious breach of research ethics, says the Secretary General of the University of Helsinki, Professor of Criminal Law Sakari Melander. In practice, this could mean fraud in scientific activities, such as plagiarism.
“It would be the clearest situations. After that, the issue is much more challenging. ”
Melander raises, for example, a kind of title law and ordinance that allows for the loss of a title if the person who received it has been sentenced to a crime of more than one year in prison. The doctrine of innocence is not required by current law. Melander points out that the title law is not applicable as such.
“The value of an associate professor is based on scientific merit, and the titles awarded by the President of the Republic, such as music advisor or of this type, are quite different.”
Docent value, according to Melander, should not be used in contexts unrelated to the scientific community or universities.
“As such, I do not consider it appropriate for the value of a docent to be used for a purpose other than that for which it was granted.”
The University of Helsinki receives communications from time to time that the value of a docent should be revoked from someone. According to Melander, there is still no such phenomenon.
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