Hundreds of academics oppose mayor's honourary doctorate

More than 750 university professors, students, alumni, and academics, have sent an open letter to the Senate of the University of Zagreb, asking them to rescind a recent decision to bestow an honourary doctorate upon Zagreb mayor Milan Bandić.

A protest has been organized for Tuesday which hopes to bring further attention to the controversial decision. Furthermore, a petition began by a post-doctorate candidate at the university's Institute for Social Research and a professor from the faculty of political sciences aims to gather signatures opposing the honour; which will be handed over to the Senate prior to making their final decision.

According to the open letter, honourary doctorates are given to individuals who contribute to the advancement of the University of Zagreb, as well as Croatian science and culture. According to the European and Croatian university tradition, the award of honorary doctorate is an exceptional event for the university and recipient alike. In addition to the honor and title, the individual assumes to preserve and embody the reputation and dignity of the university.

Previous recipients include Lavoslav Ružička (1940), Vladimir Prelog (1952), Niels Bohr (1958), Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin (1969), and Linus Pauling (1988).

Supporters of the mayor noted that he has indeed contributed much to the university over his six terms in office. Meanwhile, detractors say funds allotted to projects benefiting both students and the university were done using public finances and, therefore, could not be attributed to Bandić as an individual.

Source: HRT