Lecturer of Telavi University Was Fired because of Different Opinion

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti

Former lecturer of the Telavi State University Eldino Jangulashvili blames the academician council of the university in her persecution for different opinion. Before firing, Eldino Jangulashvili blamed the university administration in corruption. In parallel to her activities at the university, she worked at the local non-governmental organization. Jangulashvili spoke about corruption and clan government of the university several times.

Eldino Jangulashvili had worked at Telavi Iakob Gogebashvili State University for 27 years as a senior teacher, head of cathedra, dean, professor of the pedagogical faculty. He remained without job since September 10, 2009 after the competition at the university.

The competition for academician positions at Telavi State University was announced on July 10, 2009 based on the order of the university rector.

There were two vacancies of the associated professor at pedagogical faculty. Eldino Jangulashvili applied for this vacancy. Her rivals were former deputy rector Davit Makhashvili and his wife Nino Modebadze.

The competition was held on September 10, 2009. Applicants were tested by the commission members invited by the rector. Commission members for the pedagogical faculty were Iveri Basiladze (head of commission) and Maia Akhvlediani, associated professor of the Kutaisi Akaki Tsereteli University.

In accordance to the resolution, the competition had two stages. At the first stage commission studied the relevance of the submitted documents of the applicant to the requirements of the vacancy; on the second stage they interviewed the applicants in order to estimate relevance of their professional qualification and skills with the position.

In accordance to the same resolution, applicant had to submit one conception of tuition for all three stages of the competition. Jangulashvili submitted three instead requested one conception. It must be pointed out that 4 years ago, Eldino Jangulashvili was granted with the title of professor after preparing one of the submitted conceptions.

The commission did not recommend employing Eldino Jangulashvili. The competition letter of the associated professor states that “tuition conception does not comply with the requirements of any of the three stages of the tuition.” In the same letter, on the first page, it is underlined that if these articles are not satisfied, applicant is not recommended to occupy academician position. Thus, if “tuition conception did not comply with the requirements of all three stages of the tuition”, competition members should not have evaluated the applicant in other components as well. Basiladze and Akhvlediani tested Eldino Jangulashvili in other components and granted low points.

Commission members state they did not recommend Eldino Jangulashvili because her works published in the magazine “Sazrisi” are not publications of international science. However, those letters are considered to be international publications and Ministry of Education has officially confirmed it.

Commission members Basiladze and Akhvlediani disliked her manner of writing CV. They wrote in the conclusion, that most part of documents submitted by Eldino Jangulashvili did not satisfy the requirements of the competition. More precisely, “Personal information provided by Eldino Jangulashvili does not satisfy the requirements of the CV. Her personal information – name, surname, date of birth, etc were not written in correct order.”

According to the resolution, in order to take part in the competition, HR office is in charge to evaluate compliance of the submitted applications. If some faults were discovered in the documents of Jangulashvili, the HR office had to give time to her to eradicate those problems. If she had failed to eradicate the mistake, she was to be deprived from the right to participate in the competition.

It is noteworthy that University did not require the applicants to submit CVs in accordance to particular rule and standard.

“Commission was biased. They finished testing of several applicants in 10 minutes. My interview lasted for several hours and they asked one and the same question by various interpretation. During the interview head of commission left the room for 10 minutes. The principle of equality, impartiality and transparency was breached during the competition at the University,” said Eldino Jangulashvili.

On September 14, 2009 Eldino Jangulashvili appealed to the academician council of the University to abolish the decision of the competition commission.

In reply to her appeal, on September 15, 2009 she received a letter where the chairperson of the council and rector of the University Giorgi Gotsiridze wrote to Eldino Jangulashvili that: “University Academician Council discussed your appeal and agreed with the decision of the commission according to which you were refused to occupy the position of the associated professor.” The rector wrote in his letter that commission members did not recommend Eldino Jangulashvili because of her conceptions which did not satisfy the requirements of the competition.

Academician Shota Malazonia, professor of the pedagogical faculty of the Tbilisi Ilia Chavchavadze State University states these arguments for refusal are groundless. He said “Bachelor, master and doctor’s conceptions – didactic or theory of tuition - requires high evaluation. Eldino Jangulashvili’s conception satisfies the requirements and it is confirmed by Professor Tamaz Karanadze at Tbilisi Ivane Javakhishvili State University.

 Lawyers of the Human Rights Center studied the case of Jangulashvili. “Important procedures were breached during the competition for the academician positions. All protocols, based on which Eldino Jangulashvili was refused to occupy the position of associated professor was issued through violation of the law. Having studied the case materials carefully, we conclude that Academician Council of the University persecutes Eldino Jangulashvili for different opinion,” said lawyer for the Human Rights Center Nestan Londaridze.

Telavi District Court discusses the appeal of Eldino Jangulashvili where she requests to abolish the decisions of the competition commission and academician council of the university.

It must be pointed out, that dismissal of Eldino Jangulashvili from Telavi University is not first fact of firing lecturers for different opinion. On May 22, 2008, next day of the parliamentary elections, coordinator of law faculty of the Telavi University Archil Jorjadze and head of public relation office and rector’s administration Neli Tskitishvili were fired. Jorjadze supported the New Rights, Tskitishvili was member of party “Tavisupleba.”