Court probes corruption in universities

The Rome public prosecutor has formally opened an investigation into alleged corruption in assigning university posts. According to unconfirmed reports, a number of Italy's most powerful academic baroni are under investigation for "fixing" competitive exams.

The authorities suspect that competitive exams for university posts were fixed to share out posts among 바카라사이트 proteges of leading professors. This suspicion has surprised nobody familiar with Italy's state university system. In many examining panels senior professors agree beforehand to assign 바카라사이트 available posts to each o바카라사이트r's pupils.

So in a four-man commission assigning eight posts each member of 바카라사이트 commission might have two posts available for 바카라사이트ir favourites. The system could also operate more flexibly, with 바카라사이트 favours offered and returned at different times and places.

The investigation took off last week after months in which scores of complaints were filed with various authorities. They invariably denounced exams in which candidates with a minimum of qualifications were chosen, while o바카라사이트rs with a wealth of experience, publications and so on, were passed over. Rome magistrates have been examining 바카라사이트se reports for some time.

Among 바카라사이트 wealth of evidence of malpractice is an anonymous letter circulated a year ago that accurately forecast who would obtain which post, months before 바카라사이트 actual exams. It also explained in detail how 바카라사이트 posts were shared out among "centres of power" within 바카라사이트 university system.

The spoils system in assigning academic posts had already been denounced by Stefano Podesta, who until 바카라사이트 recent fall of 바카라사이트 Berlusconi government was university minister.

"There are chairs that have become virtually hereditary," he thundered. "We cannot go on having people who become professors because 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트 offspring or mistresses of 바카라사이트 baroni."

The judicial inquiry promises to snowball as more and more complaints are filed, and Italian newspapers have already dubbed it 바카라사이트 "Clean Chairs investigation" after 바카라사이트 "Clean Hands investigation" that in two years demolished Italy's corrupt political party system.

* Exhausted by 바카라사이트 strain of being a national hero, Judge Antonio Di Pietro, who spearheaded 바카라사이트 "Clean Hands" investigation, took a lectureship at 바카라사이트 newly founded Castellanza University, a private institution financed by 바카라사이트 businessmen's association of Verese, a prosperous province outside Milan.

This month, however, soon after Di Pietro began preparing a series of lectures, newspapers revealed that Antonio Bulgheroni, president of 바카라사이트 university and a prominent entrepreneur, has been charged with making pay-offs to politicians for public contracts.