Professors at Egyptian universities are planning protests against the partial election of new university leaders, reports Reem Leila Tensions between the country's university professors and the government entered a new phase this week, especially in the wake of the government's failure to respect a 1 August deadline to replace university leaders and the much-criticised electoral process for their replacement that is still scheduled to take place next month. University Professors for Reform, the 9 March Movement and other groups are now threatening to raise tensions further by introducing teaching strikes and sit-ins if the government does not respond to their demands. Later this month, professors at the country's universities are due to start the nomination process for the election of 130 senior posts, including university presidents and deans. Earlier, the professors had been asked to decide whether these posts should be filled by election or appointment, with 83 per cent of them choosing elections. The 130 posts that are up for election represent 40 per cent of senior university figures finishing their terms in office. The elections will not include the remaining 60 per cent, as these have not yet finished their terms. Among the vacant posts are eight university presidents, at the universities of Mansoura, Kafr Al-Sheikh, Menoufiya, Banha, Suez, Beni Sweif, Zagazig and Damanhour. This is in addition to 122 deans at various universities. Despite the results of the earlier consultation, hundreds of university professors at public universities are thought not to agree with the upcoming elections, and they have asked the government to replace all senior staff appointed by the government of ousted former president Hosni Mubarak without any exception. University professor Awatef Abdel-Rahman, a member of the 9 March Movement, believes that the upcoming elections are "meaningless". "How come there will be two categories of university leaders, those who were appointed by the previous regime and those by the newly elected one? These are only partial elections. As a result of this procedure, which university will be able to function properly?" asked Abdel-Rahman. In the earlier poll, the remaining 16.5 per cent of university professors opted for university leaders to be appointed by an elected committee. "We presented a draft decree that would remove all university leaders appointed by the previous regime. Although the cabinet agreed to it, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has still not approved it," said Abdel-Rahman. Various groups of faculty within the universities also sent letters earlier this month to Minister of Higher Education Moataz Khorshid, requesting him to replace all the current university leaders and to allow free elections among faculty members. The groups also asked for an increase in financial resources allocated to scientific research and an increase in professors' salaries. "More than 5,000 university professors signed the letters," said Mohamed Abul-Ghar, a founder of the 9 March Movement. Further demands include the extension of health insurance to lecturers and teaching assistants, the right to choose the supervisors of Masters and doctoral theses, and the removal of restrictions on travelling to foreign countries to attend international conferences. In a statement, Khorshid promised that the demands of the university professors would be met. "The ministry is working on a compromise between different political groups, university leaders and faculty members, in order to find a balance between retaining the current university leaders and expectations for change over the coming period," he said. Two proposals about procedures for the election of new university leaders have been sent to the universities. Abul-Ghar supports Abdel-Rahman in arguing that the only acceptable solution would be the replacement of all university leaders before the beginning of the new academic year. "When all the university leaders have been dismissed, those who belong to the old regime and believe themselves to be efficient can still run for re-election. Holding elections only for those who have finished their terms is totally unacceptable," Abul-Ghar said. The Ministry of Higher Education does not have the power to dismiss university leaders who have not finished their terms, and should this be the path decided upon the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) will need to issue a decree, though university leaders could also choose to resign. Resignations are expected, especially after the head of Cairo University, Hossam Kamel, submitted his resignation this week. Movements associated with Egypt's January Revolution are expected to meet before the beginning of September in order to discuss ways of pressuring the SCAF into accepting the demands and forcing university leaders to resign from their posts. "I believe the SCAF should respond to our demands swiftly, because it is unseemly for university professors to beg for approval. They must understand that no reforms can take place in the country's universities until these people are got rid of," Abdel-Rahman said.
