Rector of the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU), Academician Vladimer Papava calls for providing Georgian universities with an opportunity to assist their former employees.
Rector Papava offered the Parliament’s education and science committee to develop legislative amendments that will allow Georgian state universities to use a part of their incomes from economic activities for rendering assistance to those former employees, who need this assistance most of all.
“There are people, who had worked at the university for years. But for various reasons they have been left outside the university. I mean not only professors, but also various employees, docents, lab assistants, etc. Among them there are people, who cannot be employed again largely because of their age. It should also be noted that some of them are facing extremely grave economic problems. There were some cases during my tenure, when these people asked for my assistance and I could not help because we had no legal ground for it. Therefore, we offer lawmakers to allow the universities to use a part of their incomes for rendering material support to these people. I mean the right and not an obligation. The universities need to have more independence in this issue. Then the universities, their Senates should decide themselves whether they have relevant financial resources; they should also agree on the amount and rule of granting these funds,” Vladimer Papava explains.
He also says that even if such right exists, its enforcement will be quite difficult – the amount and mechanism for allocating these funds need to be specified. The criteria defined by the university, as well as the rules of allocating funds should be extremely clear and should not raise any additional questions. Assistance can be allocated on a monthly basis, for a definite term and with the right to renewal, or else it can be one-time assistance. It will be necessary to set up a commission at the university, which will develop relevant proposals and then it will be up to the Senate to define the entire budget and the rule of allocating relevant funds.
“The assistance should be granted from incomes received from economic activities, which all the universities, including TSU have. But it will be impossible to use entire incomes from economic activities for this purpose. These incomes are variable amounts; if you allocate certain assistance, you should continue doing it next year too. Therefore, this assistance cannot exceed 40-50% of total incomes received from economic activities. As of 2013, our incomes from economic activities amounted to GEL 1.11 million. If the Senate decides that it will be possible to allocate about GEL 400-500 thousand for this purpose, it will be real. However, I cannot say for sure what the Senate will decide,” Papava said.
He believes that such decision will be fair with respect to former employees and will also be important for current employees. The latter will know that if they have to quit the university, in case of necessity they will not be left without attention. This will increase their trust towards their future financial stability.
“I do not think that everyone will be delighted with this decision. Of course, it will be difficult to implement it. Neither should anyone think that any person, who has a desire, will be eligible to apply for this assistance. However, it will be an important opportunity for those former employees, who really need assistance.”
Rector Papava also said that the draft law should define the right rather than an obligation so that all universities can act in line with their capabilities and priorities.
The Parliament’s education and science committee has already held the first meeting on this issue, where the TSU Rector’s legislative proposal was approved by all its members regardless of their political belongings. The university, however, is not empowered to submit a legislative initiative, and therefore, it is up to the parliamentary committee to prepare a relevant legislative initiative and submit it to the Parliament for consideration.
