The employees of the Institute of History decided to initiate a series of protests by which to sensitize public opinion and the authorities of the Republic of Moldova to the situation created inside the staff. According to them, the research and innovation sectors in Moldova are in a profound crisis caused by the dissolution of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova as a center for the organization and coordination of research in the country. The employees also said that the government is trying to destroy in stages the Institute of History, applying the mechanisms of fixed contests and financial penury. This is a condemnable attempt to bring the historical and philosophical learning process under the control of the current political factor, IPN reports.
In the staff’s meeting, the employees ascertained that the contest of research projects financed through the State Program for 2020-2023 was rigged and this led to the annihilation of the personnel of researchers, with irreparable consequences for research, education and culture at the national and international levels. The research projects assessment commission showed lack of responsibility and professional incompetence in terms of history and philosophy and in the assessment of projects.
“The political intervention in research led to the division of academia. The central authorities (Government, Presidential Office, current parliamentary majority) attracted groups of experts with doubtful academic training who deliver false expertise on segments of major importance for the development of society and the state. The subduing of academic research by political, departmental factors (Ministry of Education, Culture and Research; National Agency for Research and Development) dramatically undermines the value of the research effort, bringing it close to the state of public inutility. The political interference in historical and philosophical research maintains society in a permanent state of drift and confusion” runs a statement issued by the staff of the Institute of History.
This notes that the alleged reform in research and innovation turned out to be inefficient following political interference. The Institute’s employees demand to abrogate the so-called reform in science and innovation initiated in 2017 and to transfer back science and innovation under the auspices of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova by restoring its status of forum of science and culture. They also request to transfer back the Institute of History under the Academy’s management, to unconditionally respect academic autonomy and to resume institutional financing so as to ensure the research process and the institution’s functionality.
“We inform about the constitution of the Strike Committee at the Institute of History and call on the staffs of research institutions to make common cause with our actions and demands,” says the statement.
