Ministerial medicine for doctoral wound

A letter from Andrea Paglietti, Cagliari

Dear Editor,

The case of  David Aliaga [Doctoral torture, JUST Response, Dec 21 2002], a Canadian citizen unjustly treated by our university system, represents an open wound both for Italy's universities and for our society. It is an injustice brought on a young and idealistic person who had put his trust in our university system – a system which has in the past been the repository of a great intellectual tradition.

What happened to Mr. Aliaga was clearly the consequence of the cynicism and arrogance of certain individuals who should have been an example of wisdom and fairness in their service to our universities and society. Such individuals should not be entrusted with a process as crucial as the education of new generations on which the future of our nation depends.
 
To what has so effectively been exposed by Mr. Aliaga in the JUST Response interview, I would like to add that if it is true, in accordance with the doctoral examination procedures which were operational at that time, that the examination could not have been repeated, it is also true that there is proof in Mr. Aliaga's case that the examination commission (named at the last minute) lacked the time to read his thesis. Furthermore, two of the commissioners did not even possess a copy of the thesis before the date of the examination, and one of them just happened to be the president of the examining commission.

It should also be observed that new doctoral examination rules recently introduced in Italian universities grant doctoral candidates who do not pass the examination at the first sitting the opportunity to re-sit.
 
In the light of these facts, the mode of conduction of Mr. Aliaga's examination should be considered invalid, or at least he should be allowed to repeat his doctoral examination. At this stage of affairs this can only be carried out directly by the Minister.
 
Such a possibility should have been offered to Mr. Aliaga, who has never received any official justification for the unfair treatment he received, both by the University of Calabria and by the Ministry officials who were in charge of organising and supervising the administrative procedures of his examination. As far as I know, Mr. Aliaga has not yet been offered any form of remedy or compensation by either the Ministry or the University of Calabria for the damages he and his family sustained through the effects of poor management.

At this point, in the absence of any formal legal action – it would be truly farcical to expect Mr Aliaga also to bear further costs and inconvenience – it would be most desirable if higher education minister Letizia Moratti could express herself on this matter as soon as possible in the name of fairness and justice, as is her distinguished custom.

Note: This letter was published by JUST Response on January 11 2003.

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