Dark cloud stubbornly hovers over Tallinn Tech

Photo: Eero Vabamägi

Teaming up with colleagues yesterday, current rector of Tallinn University of Technology (TUT) Andres Keevallik explained to school body the background of the miserable mess: who was to blame for the confused votes-count at rector election in May, and whether board of governors can continue.

With ten minutes to go till opening of the information-event, the auditorium was packed to capacity. Mostly, these were the staff – percentage of students being significantly lower.

The first to calm down colleagues was Mr Keevallik. «Never before has my heart been so heavy needing to address you,» he said. «As long as I can remember, never has the technology university been in a situation like this.»

Even so, Mr Keevallik proceeded to explain that the board of governors had taken its decision and by eight yes-votes elected academician Jaak Aaviksoo as next rector.

Let governors answer

Member of board of governors Prof Margus Lopp said he did not believe that any of members thereof had explicitly desired to cause harm to the university. Nor does he believe that the results had been falsified.  

«And yet, I see the total failure of the board of governors and its members, their inability for mutual constructive cooperation, wherefore great moral damage has been caused to the university,» he said straight out.

The bulk of the guilt Prof Lopp laid on chairman of the governors’ board (Sandor Liive – edit) while not denying the others shared the blame.

«Can you imagine the situation that in order to solve the crisis the board of governors has not convened for a single time? No decision has been taken. The issue has not been discussed. Some single e-mails – this is no discussion. There’s just this ongoing improvisation by chairman of the board of governors,» he said.

Prof Lopp said he was convinced that election fraud never happened and the confusion was only due to the inaptitude of the governors’ board. He thought that in order to find a solution, an extraordinary meeting of the board of governors should be called as soon as possible, and thereafter, as the solution has been found, the highest TUT governing body should step down as one.

To this, board of governors’ deputy chairman Ardo Kamratov agreed. «If governors’ board fails to find a solution in near future, it cannot continue in this shape or form,» he observed.

Change TUT law?

By several among those that took the floor yesterday, faults were found in the new Tallinn University of Technology Act.

«There are certain holes in the act, and it is in no way excluded that we might also amend our act in the future,» admitted Mr Keevallik.

«I personally participated in the working group for TUT Act and I’m telling you that nothing remained from the variant we prepared,» added Mr Lopp.

In the opinion of Mr Lopp, all present problems related to electing a rector spring from said Act. Also, opines the professor, the Act restricts the autonomy of the university.

«Currently, money and political power are trying to force their way into the management of the university, through the body of governors within the framework of the Act,» thinks Mr Lopp. «This is not an issue of prudent use of taxpayer money under governors’ board role, but the prevalence of possible business interests.»

Also, it turned out yesterday that though election committee decision prescribed that the body of governors meet all four rector candidates between April 27th and May 21st, the decision-makers desired not to talk to two of them – Jakob Kübarsepp and Andrus Salupere. To the knowledge of Postimees, the board of governors desired not to have a new rector from within TUT. Nevertheless, on the election day four candidates were on the table.

Today, the 41-member TUT council convenes to also discuss, as final item on agenda, whether to veto the decision by governors’ board on May 22nd regarding Mr Aaviksoo appointed the new rector. The university’s current rector and chairman of the council Mr Keevallik said yesterday that there are some in the council that demand a veto, and others agree with the present outcome.

At the vote, they go by the following principle: should two thirds of those voting at the council decide for veto, the body of governors must appoint an acting rector from September 1st 2015 to September 1st 2016. If there will be no veto, governors’ board will nominate the rector. At that, an issue remains: as the moment arrives, will there still be a governors’ board to do that.