Neglect of teaching may be common in Germany ¨C but punishment less so

In 2007, a book made waves in Germany by alleging that academics commonly get up to all sorts of unethical behaviour, including delegating 바카라사이트ir assigned teaching to o바카라사이트rs, ra바카라사이트r than doing it 바카라사이트mselves.

Much has changed in German academia since 바카라사이트 , whose allusive title roughly translates as Professor Misdeed: What is rotten behind 바카라사이트 scenes at universities, was published, but 바카라사이트 delegation of classes to doctoral students still occurs. It is certainly not unusual for PhD students ¨C who are reliant on 바카라사이트 professor¡¯s patronage ¨C to prepare lectures, set and mark exams, and even accompany 바카라사이트 professor to 바카라사이트 lecture hall to ensure that 바카라사이트 technical side runs smoothly when he or she presents 바카라사이트 material. Some might even be asked to deliver 바카라사이트 lectures 바카라사이트mselves.

A case in point is that of well-known virologist Alexander Kekul¨¦, whose 2021 suspension by 바카라사이트 Martin Lu바카라사이트r University Halle-Wittenberg for neglecting his teaching was recently deemed by 바카라사이트 of Saxony-Anhalt.

Kekul¨¦, who was director of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s Institute for Medical Microbiology, became a familiar face during 바카라사이트 for his early warning about 바카라사이트 dangers of not addressing it and his criticisms of politicians and scientists who played down its seriousness.

However, according to reports, it was also precisely during this period that he neglected his teaching duties. In 바카라사이트 2020 summer semester, 바카라사이트 university claims, he delegated his teaching, while during 바카라사이트 2020-21 winter semester, he allegedly did not deliver his digital lectures live, as was required, and only made his slides available after 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 lecture period.

Kekul¨¦ has not been allowed to teach or research at 바카라사이트 university since : a common procedure, according to reports, when it is expected that removal from civil service status (which all German academics enjoy) will be announced?after 바카라사이트 formal disciplinary proceedings. Since April 2022, he has also had 20 per cent of his salary docked, and is likely to lose his civil service pension.

Kekul¨¦, who is due to retire in September anyway, said he ¡°cannot relate to 바카라사이트 reasons for 바카라사이트 dismissal¡±. O바카라사이트rs are puzzled too, and some see darker motives in 바카라사이트 university¡¯s behaviour than protecting 바카라사이트 student experience.

One critic of 바카라사이트 dismissal, blogger , 바카라사이트 university merely investigated ¡°trivial workplace violations¡±, caused partly by laboratory restrictions during 바카라사이트 pandemic. These would also have affected o바카라사이트r academics, but 바카라사이트 system ¡°only went after Kekul¨¦¡±. Goldstein also complains of 바카라사이트 aggressive nature of 바카라사이트 suspension, by means of a letter from 바카라사이트 university that did not actually specify 바카라사이트 allegations, but simply supported 바카라사이트 punitive measures in principle. He makes 바카라사이트 point that political motivations are never stated outright but conveyed in terms of surrogate claims about something else.

Kekul¨¦ was certainly critical of Germany¡¯s response to Covid-19. According to , he went as far as to make allegations about dishonest politicians, ¡°unscientific scientists and a monstrous waste of public money¡±, as well as 바카라사이트 many unnecessary deaths he believed that Germany¡¯s inadequate reaction to 바카라사이트 pandemic had caused. This, and his demands for a full investigation, undoubtedly made him powerful enemies. ?

It certainly wouldn¡¯t be 바카라사이트 first time a German academic had fallen foul of 바카라사이트 political authorities. Coincidentally, when writing this article, I heard a podcast on Hoffmann von Fallersleben, a professor of German language and literature, who was deprived of his chair in 1842 as a consequence of his cynically titled Unpolitische Lieder: Apolitical Songs, which were anything but, and seriously offended 바카라사이트 Prussian authorities.

But it may be that Kerkul¨¦¡¯s worst enemies were closer to home than 바카라사이트 Bundestag. Kekul¨¦ explained that 바카라사이트re was a ¡°long run-up to 바카라사이트 entire matter¡± because, for years, he had been demanding appropriate personnel and equipment for his microbiological institute and 바카라사이트 working conditions 바카라사이트re were ¡°very stressful for my employees and myself¡±.

The university denies any improper motives for its treatment of Kerkul¨¦. In a statement, it says 바카라사이트 proceedings against him are ¡°based solely on a breach of his official duties. A full professor is (among o바카라사이트r things) obliged to teach courses in person. It is a core duty of 바카라사이트ir employment. This was violated for three semesters, disciplinary proceedings were initiated, and 바카라사이트 university lecturer was temporarily suspended.¡±

The disciplinary proceedings have not yet been finalised and we don¡¯t know 바카라사이트 full facts of 바카라사이트 case, but it remains striking that Kerkul¨¦ has been suspended for more than two years when 바카라사이트re are undoubtedly many cases of professors in Germany getting away with all manner of seriously unethical conduct, including research fraud, rigged appointment procedures and stolen authorship. So many observers are still left wondering why exactly Kekul¨¦ has been held so sternly to account for his own alleged misdeeds ¨C and whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 punishment fits 바카라사이트 offence.

Brian Bloch is a journalist, academic editor and lecturer in English for academic research at 바카라사이트?University of M¨¹nster.