Ana Peraica on Mon, 7 May 2007 08:49:26 +0200 (CEST)


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<nettime> EU-ro process


Education on a black market exchange (Bologna process)

7 years in a prison of postgraduate studies in EU

Ana Peraica

Bologna process in Croatia (AZVO Zagreb) seems to function only for
formal gestures in a realm of acceptance to the EU, I have found out
starting a process of diploma recognition of the Jan Van Eyck Akademie
(post-academic centre for fine arts, design and theory) and then a
request for recognition of years of study at Amsterdam School of
Cultural Analysis, University of Amsterdam.

First one, for which I was awarded UNESCO-ifpc, was rejected while the
second could not be as Croatia has signed collaborative documents with
Dutch ministry of education. Still it was underestimated legally. So,
the University of Philosophy in Zagreb has calculated that three full
years spent on ASCA are being equal their own single one. Amazing?
When those programs are compared, it is also visible that postgraduate
study in film in Zagreb is having actually only a year and a half
of lectures and the rest is filled with; ?excursions? ?exchange?
?writing,? whatever, while ASCA has a full program of coures.

Comparing programs of a post-socialist country that has hardly
invested in own libraries for decades, without CC magazines, while PhD
was more of the political function, it seems really notorious, and
especially once the selection board is checked for their own academic
work. Despite names of the board members were not mentioned in any
of documents (Croatian practice), it was possible to find them out
browsing the archive of the University. Well, well? no comment.

By the experience, I can note, Romanian education was indeed producing
?scary? intellectuals; not only talking perfect English with amazing
British accent, but also having a amazing general knowledge base
compared to other participants on any of those studies. In regard,
Zagreb University where I have graduated myself too, was not paying
attention even on the literacy of graduates (I did not know what is
an essay form until arrival to the Netherlands) being awarded BA in
philosophy and art history. Fortunately I started writing before
my studies. The last reason might be that Croatia has abolished
socialistic free education. Postgraduate studies cost 10 000, 00 kn
(cca 1300 E) a semester, with no possible state assistance while the
estimated salary for someone can range only half of it per month, at
its best. That seems to be the only criteria of allowing someone to
continue studies. But, a political gesture of inviting intellectuals
schooled in the EU, sponsored and basically completely funded by other
states, usually sympathizing with young scholars from the Balkans
region, is done. Still ? what happens once they arrive is they are
destroyed (maybe someone thinks they are EU spies?) Though, when ones
are needed to approve and sign something they are invited (I have
myself wrote two programs). At the end a process of objections can
start. Of course who would would be in peace when someone decides to
take away 7 years of ones life (as if I was in prison, while on all
job applications they ask for 5, at the same time!) to give you only
one recognized instead, with no diploma awarded, and furthermore ask
another 40 000 kn + 10 000 kn (totally around 9 000 E) to finish your
studies again.

But, then a bureaucracy starts to play.. with a Ministry of science
lawyer that defends she has no time, that is more than she can do,
some applications wait for a year, that is ?extra work unpaid? you are
faced directly with an invitation to pay for the extra work (that is
how the corruption is done). Well, if everyone is earning on foreign
students, why wouldn?t she?

It is all it seems about money, but the Euro conversion on the black
market seems to be converted more fairly.

Read more http://anarchiva.blogspot.com/






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