Below is a rough English translation of the report of Academic Rights Watch.
by ACADEMIC RIGHTS WATCH posted on 10 NOVEMBER, 2017
ARW can now record another case at Uppsala University, where teachers and researchers academic rights are not respected. It concerns a professor in the Mathematics Department who was forbidden by its prefect to go on research trips - even if the host university pays. A number of international protest letters received which colleagues in France, India, Israel and Italy expressed dismay at what they call "an administrative measure unheard of in the democratic world."
ARW has recently drawn attention to a number of cases of tampering with academic freedom of teachers and researchers of at Uppsala University. Then it was the matter of infringements of the freedom of expression, so central for academic world. That was what happened to professor of Latin Gerd Haverling, who was threatened with dismissal for her criticism of the administration. Usually very reserved Attorney General considered that administration's actions are partly in conflict with the Constitution.
But in Uppsala, there is no limit to what may happen to you as a researcher. Or how about a ban to go on research trips abroad, even if the host university bears the costs? Is this really Sweden?
A travel ban was imposed recently on professor of Mathematics Cyril Tintarev, who was vigilant enough to press the record button when the prefect berated him on 13 January this year. ARW publish the recording here . A transcript of the prefect's announcements follow:
Warwick Tucker: ”There are several things I want to discuss. One is is your, your business trips, which you wondered about, why I’ve denied you them, the second is your, your time spent at the workplace, and then coming meetings. So. They are all connected. As you know, I am not happy with the situation [pause] between you and the department, and I want to see to find the way to solve this. My hope is that we will find some way for you to come back into the activities in the department so you can act as a researcher and a collaborator in all ways. This is my aim. But I see that we are far away from that, so until I see big improvement, I will not grant you any travels. I also want to see you at your workplace, during regular hours, that means 8AM to 16.30 daily, unless you are teaching until 17 – then you can come in at 8:30. This is starting today, five days a week. This is according to union rules. You and I will have many meetings, starting this semester, to follow-up on the progress of you coming back into work and functioning here. I would also like us to involve Feelgood [the name of the firm of workplace health services provided under contract with Uppsala University], for this we have a rehabilitation process. I am not saying this is necessary, but I feel that the problems are so severe so you need, er, professional help to solve these problems. So that was a lot of information. Did you get the all of that?”
In an e-mail to Tucker says Per Sundman, Saco's representative in Uppsala, the travel ban is unacceptable:
"Av dessa skäl hävdar Saco-S vid Uppsala Universitet också att arbetsgivaren inte kan utfärda ett generellt förbud mot arbetsresor för en anställd. Om en begäran att genomföra en arbetsresa avslås måste detta kunna motiveras utifrån den enskilda resan." [For these reasons, claiming Saco-S at Uppsala University that the employer can not impose a general ban on work trips for an employee. If a request to conduct a business trip is rejected, this must be justified based on the individual journey.]
The ban is not least contrary to Article 13 of the Unescos international rules for staff in higher education (1997) , which states that "the higher-education teaching personnel should be enabled throughout their careers to participate in international gatherings on higher education or research".
The international protests against the Swedish travel ban on academics have not been long in coming. Three French scientists express its disappointment and surprise at the loss of a visiting professor this:
Professor Tintarev was awarded a visiting professorship for one month this academic year at our university out of several qualified candidates. If he is unable to come, it is too late to replace him. Furthermore our collaboration with him will be compromised, we will miss his stimulating conversation, and we do not know when (or if) we will be able to invite him again … For these reasons, we hope that it is possible to allow him to visit Toulouse for one month this academic year.
Eight graduates from Israel does not mince words:
The imposition of a travel ban on a scholar is an administrative measure unheard of in the democratic world. If indeed, there is any reasonable explanation for such a step, it should be clarified and made public to the mathematical community. We respectfully request that Uppsala University lift the ban on travel imposed on Professor Tintarev.
Also Indian and Italian academics have complained about the treatment of Tintarev in the e-mail to Uppsala's administrative team.
Tucker's claim above that it is the trade union's condition that one has to be present at work between 8:00 am and 16:30 am is of course also incorrect because scholars have the discretion how to dispose of their annual working hours. Saco's Per Sundman explains:
"Enligt lokalt kollektivavtal om arbetstid och arbetstidsberoende ersättningar för lärare (UFV-PA 2013/2693) har lärare en årsarbetstid att förhålla sig till. Däremot finns inget angivet om vid vilka veckodagar eller klockslag årsarbetstiden ska förläggas. Avtalet anger också angående närvaro på arbetsplatsen att en lärares arbetsuppgifter, om verksamheten och uppgifterna tillåter, kan förläggas till annan plats efter anmälan till prefekt. En begäran av en enskild anställd lärare att generellt befinna sig på arbetsplatsen under vissa tider, utan att detta motiveras med arbetsuppgifter som bara kan utföras såvitt vi vet vid denna plats och på denna tid, skulle alltså kunna utgöra ett brott mot det lokala kollektivavtalet."
The conflict developed internally over much of 2017 without coming to public attention. ARW received early information on what has happened but chose, out of consideration for the professor's situation, not to intervene in the sensitive process.
But the union's support does not seem to have had any significant effect. Tintarev has communicated ARW he finally could not handle the pressure, and chose to take early retirement on 1 September 2017 at the age of 61. In return, the prefect have let him carry out two of the previously blocked research trips, while the research visits in Princeton and TIFR in Bangalore did not realize.
Professor Tintarev did not retain his affiliation with the Department of Mathematics in Uppsala, and his name is cleared away from the university's address directory, as if he never worked at the university. If we had not documented and published his story in this post had in a sense, "never happened". President's Office, however, has registered all received letters of protest as Case UFV 2017/129.
Tintarev skriver att han ”bedömer sin förtidspensionering som det enda möjliga sättet att bevara sin akademiska frihet”. Slutsatsen är tragisk men av allt att döma följdriktig. Han fortsätter att delta i internationella matematiska konferenser och att vistas som gästprofessor vid utomnordiska lärosäten. Enligt våra uppgifter har rektorn Eva Åkesson och hennes ledningsgrupp aldrig reagerat på reseförbudet, trots att de fått internationella protestbrev direkt i mejlboxen och inte kan skylla på okunskap. Vad hände med utredningsplikten vid misstänkt kränkande särbehandling?
Tintarev writes that he "believes that his early retirement was the only possible way to preserve his academic freedom." The conclusion is tragic but, by all evidence, consistent. He continues to participate in international mathematical conferences and to visit non-Nordic universities as guest professor. According to our data, the Vice Chancellor Eva Åkesson and her administration team never responded to the travel ban, even though they received international protest letters directly into the email box and can not claim ignorance. What happened with the prescription to investigate all suspected victimization?
From UNESCO recommendations concerning the status of higher-education teaching personnel (1997)
13. The interplay of ideas and information among higher-education teaching personnel throughout the world is vital to the healthy development of higher education and research and should be actively promoted. To this end higher-education teaching personnel should be enabled throughout their careers to participate in international gatherings on higher education or research, to travel abroad without political restrictions and to use the Internet or video-conferencing for these purposes.
74. Member States and higher education institutions should take all feasible steps to apply the provisions spelled out above to give effect, within their respective territories, to the principles set forth in this Recommendation.
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