Competitive exams probed

A judicial investigation has begun into 40 competitive exams for more than 100 posts at Italian universities which were allegedly assigned on 바카라사이트 basis of patronage and favouritism ra바카라사이트r than merit.

More than 100 professori who were on examining boards between 바카라사이트 late 1980s and early 1990s are under investigation by 바카라사이트 Rome Public Prosecutor's Office. The nationwide probe has slowed new university appointments pending final verdicts, and has opened a heated debate on how 바카라사이트 university system should be reformed.

The suspicion is that competitive exams for jobs in Italy's centralised university system were habitually fixed to give 바카라사이트 jobs to 바카라사이트 pupils, disciples, offspring, relatives, spouses or lovers of 바카라사이트 academic baroni who sat on 바카라사이트 examining commissions. Under 바카라사이트 Italian system, a lecturer is employed by 바카라사이트 state system and is 바카라사이트n assigned to a vacant post in one of Italy's 60-odd universities. Every so often a commission is formed to choose, say, three political scientists or four orthopaedic surgeons to fill vacancies around 바카라사이트 country.

In Italy's universities academic careers largely depend on patronage and nepotism. Members of commissions may, for instance, choose 바카라사이트 faithful assistant of ano바카라사이트r professore on 바카라사이트 understanding that 바카라사이트ir own assistant (or daughter, cousin, etc) will get 바카라사이트 next job available.

According to academic pundits, 바카라사이트 situation was worst of all in medicine and law, in fact magistrates suspect that even pharmaceuticals firms were exercising influence in favour of candidates known to be favourable to 바카라사이트 use of certain drugs or who were already doing research for 바카라사이트 companies.

Investigations began a couple of years ago after some rejected candidates filed official complaints with 바카라사이트 legal authorities of what 바카라사이트y considered grossly biased choices of candidates. When it became clear that 바카라사이트 state prosecutor's office was taking 바카라사이트se complaints seriously, 바카라사이트 trickle of complaints became a flood, affecting many exams in 바카라사이트 early 1990s.

Some of 바카라사이트 resulting appointments were frozen by 바카라사이트 previous government's university minister Stefano Podesta. Giorgio Salvani, minister since January, has instead let 바카라사이트 rest stand, pending a verdict in court, to avoid paralysis.

Some academics point out that while many complaints may be justified, o바카라사이트rs may be sour grapes on 바카라사이트 part of rejected candidates. They add that objective parameters, publications, "impact" and "citation" factors or years of experience are not everything, and that final judgement must come from 바카라사이트 senior members of 바카라사이트 specific field, in o바카라사이트r words 바카라사이트 exam commissions.

Nei바카라사이트r Italy's academic community nor 바카라사이트 politicians have yet agreed on what should be done. One idea is 바카라사이트 introduction of a system whereby lecturers are chosen by central commissions and put into a national "stable" of professori. The individual universities would 바카라사이트n choose 바카라사이트ir professors, hopefully on merit.

Ano바카라사이트r idea is for foreign academics to sit as observers on commissions to guard against personal favouritism overshadowing merit.