Give Italian academics the respect they deserve 

A letter from David Aliaga, Calgary

Dear Friends at JUST Response,

Congratulations on the great work you are doing in giving publicity to injustices around the world. You might like to add my own incredible story to your Italian universities list.  

Between 1987 and 1991, when I was a doctorate student in anthropology at Calabria University in Calabria, Italy, I encountered numerous problems that one would not normally associate with a higher seat of learning. These included: miscommunication regarding funding availability; lack of training, advice and instructional support from my academic supervisor, Dott. Luigi Lombardi Satriani; serious miscommunication about the date of my dissertation; unprofessional behaviour by the examiners of my dissertation and subsequent accreditation difficulties.  Miscommunication regarding my dissertation date included the office of the Italian Minister of Universities. 

I have, nonetheless, persevered in my fight for restitution for my mistreatment and have gained an audience with UNESCO, the support of both the Canadian and American University Professors’ Associations, the Canadian and American Graduate Students’ Associations, the Canadian and American Anthropological Associations, Calgary’s Bishop, and many respected university professors from Canada, Australia, Spain, England, the USA and Italy.  My story has also been repeatedly covered in the Canadian, English and Italian press.

The chronology of events may be briefly summarised as follows.

Despite having received inadequate training, advice and instructional support from my Italian academic supervisor Dott. Luigi Lombardi Satriani, I was nevertheless able to successfully complete all the requirements for my Dottorato di Ricerca and in January 1990 the University of Calabria Chancellor attested to the fact that I had regularly concluded my doctorate studies throughout my years of enrolment.

Although I was promised educational funding from Calabria University; this never materialized. As a result of lack of funds, I was forced to return to Canada in February 1990 prior to the completion of my thesis. After raising sufficient money, I requested permission to take my doctoral exam by returning to Italy.

The Italian Ministry of Universities (MURST) set an examination date for July 25, 1991, but when I arrived in Rome together with other students at the requested time and at the requested location, no examiners were present. I personally located the examiners on beaches, in bars and elsewhere and requested them to return to the determined location to hear my dissertation. The examiners eventually returned but had not prepared for the test by reading my material, plus they were very angry. My candidacy for the title of Dottore di Ricerca (PhD) was subsequently rejected. 

I firmly believe that I did not receive fair and equitable treatment from that examination committee in August 1991. Since then I have attempted to achieve justice through numerous channels but find that I am repeatedly advised there is no relevant appeal process within the Italian education system.

Although an ad hoc Committee of the Italian National University Board (CUN) did conduct an examination of the matter, this review did not constitute a genuine assessment of the case and no Committee member ever contacted me for an interview. Also, on numerous occasions, both the University of Calgary and I myself have requested a copy of my academic transcript from the University of Calabria. Inexplicably, I have been unable to secure a copy.  I am now also pursuing what I believe is my right to a suitable compensation for the damage caused to my reputation and academic career.

In conclusion, I have been treated very unfairly, first, by the administration and staff of Calabria University; second, by the office of the Italian Minister of Universities; and, third, in my attempts to achieve justice through numerous Italian and Canadian channels. I have refused to accept repeated responses advising that there is no appeal process in place in Italy allowing for foreign students to bring their grievances before an independent board for resolution.

My experience both at the University of Calabria and over the last ten years has taught me that there are regularly myriads of other cases of blatant injustice at Italian universities but relatively few protests either for fear of retaliation or else because it is widely understood in Italy that Italian universities are above the law. I hope that foreign students who are considering studying at an Italian university will think twice after reading this. I also hope that Canadian academics and foreign academics generally will give their Italian counterparts the respect they deserve when they meet at conferences.

I append a small fraction of the documentation I now have regarding my case and three web sites containing letter exchanges and other material in English and Italian.

Documentation:

1. Interrogazione a Risposta Scritta (Italian & English translations), by Senator Antonio Di Pietro, December 21, 2000;

2. Letter to Mr. Alessandro Fontana, Minister of Universities & Scientific Investigation, Rome, Italy, by Margaret Rodman, President, Canadian Anthropology Society & Professor, Anthropology Department, York University, December 21, 1993;

3. Letter to Professor Giorgio Salvini, Minister of Universities & Scientific Investigation, Rome, Italy, by James Peacock, President, American Anthropological Association, February 7, 1995;

4. Joint letter to Professor Luigi Berlinguer, Minister of Universities & Scientific Investigation, by Rubina Ramji, Chair, Canadian Graduate Council, and, Bryan Hanegan, President, National Association of Graduate-Professional Students (U.W.), Canadian Graduate Council, May 1, 1998;

5. Letter to Professor Ortensio Zecchino, Minister of Italian Universities, Rome, Italy, by William Graham, President, Canadian Association of University Teachers,  February 24, 2000;

6. Letter to Professor Ortensio Zecchino, Minister of Italian Universities, Rome, Italy, by Mary Burgan, General Secretary, American Association of University Professors, May 30, 2000;

7. Letter to Professor Ortensio Zecchino, Minister of Italian Universities, Rome, Italy, by F. B. Henry, Bishop of Calgary, August 2, 2000;

8. Letter to Mr. Jacques Demers, Ambassador, UNESCO, by Diane Ablonczy, MP, Calgary - Nose Hill, April 22, 1997.

Web sites:

http://www.unica.it/libroaperto/Estero.htm

http://www.ucalgary.ca/~daliaga/Aliaga.html

http://www.dirittoefamiglia.it/Redazion/Lettere/Archivio%20Lettere/Alliaga.htm

Note: This letter was published by JUST Response on August 17 2002.

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