education or politics?
An interesting thing happened yesterday in Israel: the Ariel College was pronounced a university. At first glance, what could be better - another university in Israel. Another place for students to pursue higher education, another workplace for thousands of israeli scientists and researchers looking for jobs. So what's wrong? Here is some history, according to wikipedia:
"The center was founded in 1982 to serve as a regional branch of Bar-Ilan University. Originally located in the settlement of Kedumim, it moved to Ariel in order to expand. Its association with Bar-Ilan University lapsed in the 2004-05 academic year with the school administration's decision to become independent and pursue university status... On 17 July 2012, the Council for Higher Education in Judea and Samaria passed a resolution to grant full university status to the university center. This move was praised from the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Education Gideon Saar, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Knesset members. This move was condemned by the Council of Presidents of Israeli Universities, over 1000 Israeli academics and Palestinians."
Anything looks suspicious? Here is a clue. The passage reads "the Council for Higher Education in Judea and Samaria passed a resolution...". It is easy to miss the subtle difference between ""the Council for Higher Education in Judea and Samaria" and "the Council for Higher Education of Israel". But subtlety is everything. What is the Council for Higher Education in Judea and Samaria? One would think that this is just the Council for Higher Education of Israel, or at least a branch of it. However, there is no connection between the two. The Council for Higher Education in Judea and Samaria is appointed by the General of the Territorial Command, upon recommendation of the head of the Council for Higher Education in Judea and Samaria, who happens to have also been the head of the Committee promoting the issue of turning the Ariel College into an independent university. Needless to say that all members of the council are from Judea and Samaria. Needless to say that none of them were elected.
So what is the problem? The main question is: is AUC (Ariel University Center) a university in Israel, or is it not? If it is, then how come this important decision was not up to the CHE (the Council of Higher Education)? If it is not, if it is a "university" pronounced by a military dictatorship in "no man's land", then how come is it going to get financed by CHE? Why are all the higher degrees given by AUC going to be recognized by CHE? Who stands behind these degrees? Who verified whether or not this institution is up to the standards of a university? How can a local council (and a local general) accredit a college to grant university degrees recognized by the state? What next? What if the AUC decides to open a medical school, and the general approves and certifies it?
What right do members of the Council of Higher Education in Judea and Samaria (as well as professors and administrators of AUC) have to appeal to Israeli law (and money), when most of the time they allow themselves to live by military rule, which explicitly rejects the rule of law?
Here is another quote from the same wikipedia article:
"In July 2006 the Council for Higher Education rejected the proposal (which had been paired with an initiative by Shimon Peres) to unite several regional colleges in the Galilee into one umbrella university."
Why do the Galilee colleges not have a similar illegal (not to mention immoral) shortcut to become a university, just as the AUC has?
The heads of all the existing universities in Israel condemned the decision. I heard the president of the Technion say on the radio "Maybe Israel does need another university. And maybe it should be founded in Ariel. But this is not how the decision should be made". And I couldn't agree more.
A colleague told me today: "You are naive. I am so very much mistrustful of the government when it comes to anything related to law and justice, that this is hardly a surprise. When you compare this to other things going on in the territories - people killed, tortured, and what not, this is really peanuts". All true. But I was under the impression that at least when it comes to higher education, decisions are made based on relevant considerations, and politics stays out of the equation. Apparently, I was wrong and, indeed, naive.
As it turns out, one is allowed to bypass the law, compromise the standards of higher education, make a joke of the system, whenever it is convenient for political reasons. Amazingly enough, we don't realize that this is a dangerous slope. More and more standards are going to be compromised, more and more laws are going to be ignored. The only thing that is left is to sit back and enjoy the ride.
"The center was founded in 1982 to serve as a regional branch of Bar-Ilan University. Originally located in the settlement of Kedumim, it moved to Ariel in order to expand. Its association with Bar-Ilan University lapsed in the 2004-05 academic year with the school administration's decision to become independent and pursue university status... On 17 July 2012, the Council for Higher Education in Judea and Samaria passed a resolution to grant full university status to the university center. This move was praised from the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Education Gideon Saar, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Knesset members. This move was condemned by the Council of Presidents of Israeli Universities, over 1000 Israeli academics and Palestinians."
Anything looks suspicious? Here is a clue. The passage reads "the Council for Higher Education in Judea and Samaria passed a resolution...". It is easy to miss the subtle difference between ""the Council for Higher Education in Judea and Samaria" and "the Council for Higher Education of Israel". But subtlety is everything. What is the Council for Higher Education in Judea and Samaria? One would think that this is just the Council for Higher Education of Israel, or at least a branch of it. However, there is no connection between the two. The Council for Higher Education in Judea and Samaria is appointed by the General of the Territorial Command, upon recommendation of the head of the Council for Higher Education in Judea and Samaria, who happens to have also been the head of the Committee promoting the issue of turning the Ariel College into an independent university. Needless to say that all members of the council are from Judea and Samaria. Needless to say that none of them were elected.
So what is the problem? The main question is: is AUC (Ariel University Center) a university in Israel, or is it not? If it is, then how come this important decision was not up to the CHE (the Council of Higher Education)? If it is not, if it is a "university" pronounced by a military dictatorship in "no man's land", then how come is it going to get financed by CHE? Why are all the higher degrees given by AUC going to be recognized by CHE? Who stands behind these degrees? Who verified whether or not this institution is up to the standards of a university? How can a local council (and a local general) accredit a college to grant university degrees recognized by the state? What next? What if the AUC decides to open a medical school, and the general approves and certifies it?
What right do members of the Council of Higher Education in Judea and Samaria (as well as professors and administrators of AUC) have to appeal to Israeli law (and money), when most of the time they allow themselves to live by military rule, which explicitly rejects the rule of law?
Here is another quote from the same wikipedia article:
"In July 2006 the Council for Higher Education rejected the proposal (which had been paired with an initiative by Shimon Peres) to unite several regional colleges in the Galilee into one umbrella university."
Why do the Galilee colleges not have a similar illegal (not to mention immoral) shortcut to become a university, just as the AUC has?
The heads of all the existing universities in Israel condemned the decision. I heard the president of the Technion say on the radio "Maybe Israel does need another university. And maybe it should be founded in Ariel. But this is not how the decision should be made". And I couldn't agree more.
A colleague told me today: "You are naive. I am so very much mistrustful of the government when it comes to anything related to law and justice, that this is hardly a surprise. When you compare this to other things going on in the territories - people killed, tortured, and what not, this is really peanuts". All true. But I was under the impression that at least when it comes to higher education, decisions are made based on relevant considerations, and politics stays out of the equation. Apparently, I was wrong and, indeed, naive.
As it turns out, one is allowed to bypass the law, compromise the standards of higher education, make a joke of the system, whenever it is convenient for political reasons. Amazingly enough, we don't realize that this is a dangerous slope. More and more standards are going to be compromised, more and more laws are going to be ignored. The only thing that is left is to sit back and enjoy the ride.