CAIRO – At the start of the new academic year, Egyptian universities are, just like every institution in Egypt today, vying for democracy, change and improvement, although how to achieve this is a matter of debate among academics, governmental officials and students. While some agree that a complete change in the old leadership is a must, others see that gradual change would be wiser. And, as some see the new electoral system for heads of universities is the right way to free Egyptian universities, others argue that elections may result in the appointment of unsuitable persons. In any case, many people agree that the problems facing Egyptian universities are bigger than choosing new leaders, as there are other pressing needs too: amending the University Law, increasing the budget and developing educational policies. Just a few days after revolution that ousted Hosni Mubarak, a wave of strikes hit Egyptian universities, with many students and teaching staff demanding the ousting of the university principals. They allege that most of these officials were appointed by the notorious State Security officers. "No-one was able to get one of these posts without the approval of State Security, which reserved these positions for ruling party loyalists," said renowned writer and poet Farouq Goweida in a recent editorial. Goweida concluded that this policy meant that many unqualified people were appointed; their only ‘qualification' was being on good terms with the now-dissolved National Democratic Party (NDP) officials. To change or not to change Last February, protests erupted in many universities for different reasons, including the sacking of some deans and principals. In fact, some of them have already resigned and been replaced in elections. But many deans and principals stayed in their posts, as they were reluctant to resign in the middle of the academic year. With the new academic year, many revolutionaries now think it's time for them to go, but, to the revolutionaries' astonishment, most of them now want to stay. The Government refuses to sack them or even accept the resignation of some of the principals of the universities; they must only leave their jobs in the normal way (i.e. on retirement), before their successors are elected. Still, the governmental stance has angered some academics, who are threatening to strike and stop working. "If the Government doesn't sack the remnants of the old regime, we're going to strike and won't begin working when the new academic year starts," says Abdel-Galil Moustafa, a member of the March 9 Movement, a group of Egyptian professors, who have been struggling for the independence of the universities for several years now. But some professors don't want all their principals to be sacked. "Some of them are big names in their fields and have contributed much to their universities; it's not their fault they served their country under Mubarak," says Magda Salah, Dean of the Faculty of Gymnastics, Alexandria University. Magda agrees that change is part of the revolutionary spirit which dominates Egypt now, "but change should be wise and dignified”. Professor Reda Chahin of the Faculty of Agriculture believes that the ruling Military Council should defuse the tension by issuing a decree to vacate all the posts before holding elections. "If this doesn't happen, the old leadership should resign voluntarily and then they can run in the elections too. It's just a psychological issue," he says. On Sunday the fears and speculations turned into reality when the General conference of the University professors declared a general strike and a boycott of the elections. The participants stressed that all the positions should be vacant for free and direct elections. The elections story The Government, anxious to form the new election regulations in universities in the light of the opinions and desires of the teaching staff, recently held a referendum for them. But the unions and movements are unhappy with the results of the referendum, which has resulted in elections that are neither free nor direct. Minister of Higher Education Moataz Khorshid says that the referendum is the source for the new regulations for university elections. However, a first draft of these regulations has angered the academics, because it says that the Ministry is going to appoint the committee, which will elect the university principals and also supervise the whole election process. The professors have asked that this committee itself also be elected. The Ministry has agreed to amend the law to allow this, but still many professors are dissatisfied, especially as the Ministry has the right to choose one of the three candidates with the most votes. According to the regulations, the principals will be elected by a committee of representatives from the different university faculties, whose size will depend on the number of professors in each university. The regulations also deprive many of the teaching staff of voting. Some people still see the whole process of elections as unsuitable for choosing these officials. "Elections may be suitable for choosing boards of clubs or syndicates, but not for senior academic officials. How can a professor elect a person, who is supposed to watch him and punish him if he does something wrong?" asks Abdel-Khaleq, Vice-Principal of el-Mansoura University. Abdel-Khaleq adds that choosing candidates for such positions should depend on their efficiency and experience, not on their popularity; he also warns against using students in the struggle for positions. According to Professor of Curricula at the Faculty of Education, Ain Shams University Mohssen Farag, professors, deans and principals used, long ago, to be elected. "The system of appointments was introduced by the Government to prevent some professors belonging to certain political groups being appointed to senior positions. “It's too early to evaluate the new system yet, but we have to keep a close eye on it and hold discussions to pinpoint its weaknesses and strengths, in order to improve it," he told the Egyptian Mail. While many are afraid of university elections becoming a political war between the different political factions, Farag sees this as something normal, arguing that some factions may dominate at first, but eventually only suitable people will be chosen. As for Professor of Modern History at Alexandria University Latifa Salem, she believes that Egyptian universities are regaining their former role. "Since they first opened in the early 20th century, Egyptian universities have played an active role in Egyptian political life. Many of their professors were great politicians and contributed to the political scene. And this is the role of our universities," she told the Mail. Latifa said she believes that Egypt's academics are wise enough to choose their leaders in a civilised and wise manner. "No-one will stand in the elections, unless he feels that he's up to the job," added Latifa, who downplayed the fears that Islamists may dominate these posts. "The Islamists on the universities' staff are not so influential, unlike the students. They've always been there and most of them are very decent people, cultured and moderate. According to the new regulations, the applicants for top university positions should be highly competent, have a good reputation and be engaged in scientific research. “What is more important now is to struggle for the complete independence of the universities. This has been an issue ever since they opened their doors," she stressed. For the past few years, Egyptian universities have been deteriorating. They have also been blamed for the low standards of Egyptian graduates, thousands of whom fail to find jobs. Some people blame this on a lack of proper financing and the governmental domination of the universities. This meant that Egypt's universities dropped out of the global classification for universities; once upon a time, Egypt had three universities among the world's top 500. This year the appearance of Cairo University in the top 500 once again gives us hope that improvement is on the way. Students also have their say It seems that students won't be left out. They are also having their say, expressing their fears and dreams. At their request, the General Union of Egyptian University Students have declared that they will join in any strike by the professors. The Union itself is expected to witness fierce elections, with all the political parties vying for a place in the universities. "Students also need post-revolution change. We want new universities with more freedom, good relations with professors, more activities and no red tape,” says Moustafa Fathi, a deputy head of the Student Union, Faculty of Arts, Ain Shams University. “One thing we want to get rid of is favouritism, something rife in Egyptian universities, that means sons of professors become professors too. Inheritance is a big setback for the universities.” As for his colleague, Mahmoud Abdel-Galil, he believes that a bridge must be built between the professors and the students. "We want them to listen to us, not just look down on us from their ivory towers," he says. "Since the revolution, some people have changed, but the system hasn't. In the new academic year we need to feel real change. We have the potential to achieve this. “But the new year won't be easy, as I expect fierce competition between political parties, some of which will come into the universities too," says Moustafa, who is also worried about security. For many years, the police spoiled university life and interfered in the work of the universities' administration. Dismissing the police from the universities was one of the gains of the revolution. "But with the young people becoming bolder, I think this civil security will not be enough," Moustafa warns. Professor Farag, however, sees that security is not an issue. "You don't need police inside your home. You only need them outside, and our civil security personnel are enough, providing they're properly trained.” Moustafa doesn't think the new academic year will be at all easy. Schoolchildren too could also be in a hard time, as their teachers are planning to strike as well, because they want more money.
