Dear Colleagues,
dear students!
I am addressing you on behalf of myself, but also on behalf of the entire management of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Pavol Jozef Šafárik in Košice.
I am pleased that the vast majority of our staff and students, like the management of our faculty, are not indifferent to the fate of the Faculty of Medicine of the UPJŠ in Košice, which we have made clear by agreeing with the activities of the Council of Higher Education of the Slovak Republic and by approving the suspension of teaching on Monday, 21 February 2022, between 10 and 11 a.m., as a sign of vigorous protest against the amendment to the Higher Education Act, which, as proposed, could undermine the democratic principles of the functioning of our higher education system.
The faculty management voted in favor of joining the SRC’s call at its called meeting on Tuesday, February 15th 2022, and the Academic Senate of the faculty approved the move with its Resolution 139 on Wednesday, February 16th.
We do not want to deprive you, dear students, of anything by the symbolic interruption of teaching. We are very pleased that the situation with the pandemic is slowly improving and we are able to teach in full-time form. We want to give you not only the information and practical skills you need to acquire as future doctors, dentists, nurses, physiotherapists and public health professionals, but also something extra during your studies.
In the current situation, when the National Council of the Slovak Republic is about to approve an amendment to the Higher Education Act threatening the democratic principles of the functioning of our higher education system, we consider it equally important that, in addition to the knowledge acquired at your alma mater, you should also consolidate your knowledge of the history of academia and the study of medical sciences – and also have the opportunity to demonstrate your moral credentials together with your teachers and other members of our faculty.
Dear students, please, take advantage of the break in teaching on Monday, February 21, for a friendly discussion about the tremendous value of academic freedom. It is not just about protecting the values of November 1989. It is also about our nearly three-quarters of a century of history, and it is also about our future!
Yours,
Daniel Pella
