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ON THE HABILITATION OF ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS AND APPOINTMENT OF PROFESSORS

In accordance with § 35, Section 2 (b) of the Higher Education Act No. 172/1990 of the Law Code, the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic sets up:

§ 1

Conditions on habilitation for an associate professor

(1) An applicant for habilitation as an associate professor in a field of study (hereinafter "the field") may be a university teacher, scientific worker, artistic worker, distinguished scholar or specialist (hereinafter "an applicant") who

a) is scientific-educationally or artistic-educationally active in a higher education institution or an external education institution ¹) at least to the extent defined in the criteria on the habilitation of associate professors approved by the Scientific Council of a higher education institution, ²)

b) has completed a comprehensive scientific work or work of art through his scientific work or works of art or artistic performances

c) is a recognized scientific or artistic individual in professional or artistic circles,

d) has successfully habilitated on the basis of a habilitation thesis.³)

(2) The habilitation shall consist of a habilitation procedure and the appointment ⁴) of an associate professor.

§ 2

The course of the habilitation procedure for an associate professor

(1) The application³) shall be furnished with:

a) an habilitation thesis consisting of four copies,

b) a curriculum vitae

c) a verified copy of a document on the completion of higher education,

d) a verified copy of a document on being granted a scientific-academic degree or artistic- academic degree ⁵) or other scientific or artistic degree, or an academic-scientific degree according to subsequent provisions,

e) a summary of the pedagogical activities and results achieved in educational work,

f) a list of original published scientific, professional and artistic works, textbooks, a summary of any scientific projects solved, scientific-technical or artistic projects developed, patent and inventor’s certificates, a summary of demonstrable references and responses to his scientific works, artistic works or creations, a summary of lectures and lecture stays at home and abroad, and other basic materials according to the criteria for associate professors’ habilitation.² )

(2) The applicant shall submit his habilitation work as

a) a monograph,

b) a monothematic work that contains new scientific knowledge,

c) a set of published scientific works supplemented by commentary, or

d) documentation on a work of art or artistic performance, or a set of works of art or artistic performances conducted.

(3) The applicant shall submit his application with appendices according to sections 1 and 2 to the Chairman of the Scientific Council of the faculty or a higher education institution that is not divided into faculties.

(4) The habilitation shall be carried out at a faculty or higher education institution, if the institution is not divided into faculties, which is entitled in the field of study to carry out the habilitation procedures⁶) and in the field or relative field of which at least one professor is working.

(5) If the Chairman of the Scientific Council of the faculty or higher education institution that is not divided into faculties discovers that the application for commencing the habilitation procedure does not contain all the requisites data according to sections 1 and 2, he shall order the applicant to remove his shortcomings within a certain time period. If the matter at issue is a field in which he is not entitled⁶) to carry out the habilitation procedure, he shall return the application with the appended documents to the applicant.

(6) As long as the applicant does not remove his shortcomings in the application for commencing the habilitation procedure, the habilitation procedure shall be interrupted.

(7) Within 60 days from submitting the application on habilitation for an associate professor, the Chairman of the Scientific Council of the faculty, with the agreement of the Scientific Council of the faculty or a higher education institution that is not divided into faculties, shall appoint three opponents of the habilitation thesis and a chairman and two additional members of the habilitation commission from among experts in the field or relative field of study if no professor or associate professor works in the field. In doing so, only one opponent and only one member of the habilitation commission will be employees of the faculty or a higher education institution that is not divided into faculties at which the habilitation takes place. At least one of the opponents and the chairman of the habilitation commission should be professors, and the other two opponents and two members of the habilitation commission should at least be associate professors or significant specialists working outside the higher education institution.

(8) The opponents of the habilitation thesis shall develop written statements within 60 days from being nominated as opponents.

(9) The habilitation commission shall examine the fulfilment of the criteria on the habilitation of associate professors²) based on the submitted application with appendices of the applicant according to section 1 within 30 days of being nominated. The conclusion on the fulfilment or non-fulfilment of the criteria shall be given in a written proposal which shall be submitted through the Chairman of the Scientific Council of the faculty to the Scientific Council of a faculty or a higher education institution that is not divided into faculties.

(10) The Chairman of the Scientific Council of the faculty or higher education institution that is not divided into faculties shall announce the date, time, place of the habilitation lecture and the defence of a habilitation thesis, the first name, surname and workplace of the applicant and the theme of the lecture no later than 14 days before its execution in the daily press.

(11) The applicant shall express his pedagogical ability with his habilitation lecture. The habilitation lecture shall be public and take place with the habilitation commission with the participation of at least five representatives of the Scientific Council of the faculty or a higher education institution that is not divided into faculties.

(12) The defence of a habilitation thesis shall be public and take place before the habilitation commission with the presence of the opponents and with the participation of at least five representatives of the Scientific Council of the faculty or a higher education institution that is not divided into faculties.

(13) Based on appended documents, the opponents’ statements, a professional evaluation of the level of the submitted habilitation lecture and the result of the defence of the habilitation thesis, the habilitation commission shall evaluate in general the level of the educational, scientific or artistic and publishing activities of the applicant. The proposal shall be submitted to the Chairman of the Scientific Council of the faculty or a higher education institution that is not divided into faculties, with a recommendation

a) to appoint the applicant as an associate professor in the respective field, or

b) not to appoint the applicant as an associate professor in the respective field.

(14) The proposal for the nomination of the associate professor with the evaluation of the commission, the opponents' statements and the appended documents shall be submitted by Chairman of the Scientific Council of the faculty or a higher education institution that is not divided into faculties, at the next deliberations of the Scientific Council of the faculty⁷) or a higher education institution that is not divided into faculties.

(15) If the habilitation procedure is carried out at another faculty or higher education institution that is not divided into faculties than at the one where the applicant is active a representative of this faculty or a higher education institution that is not divided into faculties, or external educational institution shall also be invited to discuss the proposal in the Scientific Council of the faculty or a higher education institution that is not divided into faculties.¹)

§ 3

Decision-making in the habilitation procedure

(1) If the applicant fulfils the criteria on the habilitation of associate professors, the Scientific Council of the faculty or higher education institution that is not divided into faculties, shall examine if during the entire course of the habilitation procedure this Decree was observed, based on the proposed nomination of associate professor with all the documents in accordance with § 2, sections 1 and 2. If the applicant does not meet the criteria for habilitation of associate professors, the Scientific Council of the faculty or a higher education institution that is not divided into faculties shall not comply with the proposal for nomination as associate professor.

(2) If the Scientific Council of the faculty or higher education institution that is not divided into faculties discovers that the course of habilitation was not in accord with this Decree, it shall decide on the mode of removal of shortcomings.

(3) If the Scientific Council of the faculty or a higher education institution that is not divided into faculties discovers that during the habilitation, the procedure was observed as set up by this Decree, but the habilitation commission does not recommend nominating the applicant as an associate professor, it shall issue a decision thereof.

(4) If the Scientific Council of the faculty or a higher education institution that is not divided into faculties discovers that during the habilitation the procedure set up by this Decree was observed and that the habilitation commission recommended nominating the applicant as an associate professor for the respective field, it shall decide⁷) through a secret ballot on the proposed nomination.

(5) The Chairman of the Scientific Council of the faculty or a higher education institution that is not divided into faculties shall send the applicant a written copy of the decision⁸) along with providing reasons to the Scientific Council of the faculty or a higher education institution that is not divided into faculties, concerning the proposed nomination of the associate professor or on halting the habilitation procedure within 15 days from the decision of the Scientific Council. The written form of the decision on the proposed nomination as an associate professor along with any documents on the previous course of the habilitation shall be simultaneously delivered to the Rector⁴) of the higher education institution.

§ 4

Nomination as an associate professor

(1) The document on nomination as an associate professor is a decree on the nomination as an associate professor issued by a higher education institution.

(2) The decree shall indicate the first name, surname, birth registration number, the field that the applicant is nominated for and the regulation according to which the nomination was conducted, the name of the faculty and higher education institution at which the habilitation took place, the title name of the habilitation thesis, the first name and surname of the chairman of the habilitation commission and the date of effectiveness of the nomination. The decree on the nomination as an associate professor on a certificate with the state emblem in a drawing supplied with a print of a round seal and the state symbol of the Slovak Republic⁹) shall be signed by the Rector of the higher education institution.

(3) The higher education institution shall deliver to the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic or to the appropriate ministry¹⁰) a notification on the nomination for associate professor on a printed form. A sample of the printed form is shown in the Annex to this Decree.

§ 5

Conditions on the nomination for a professor

(1) The applicant for nomination as a professor in a field in which he shall be scientific-educationally or artistic-educationally active at a higher education institution or in an external educational institution may be an associate professor¹¹ ) who

a) carries out a scientific-educational or artistic-educational activity within the scope defined in the criteria for the nomination of professors approved by the Scientific Council of the higher education institution,²)

b) is a recognized scientific or artistic individual; his scientific or artistic works or performances are also recognized abroad,

c) has influenced the development of the field by creating a scientific or artistic school or an original, well-known team that is connected to his inventions, discoveries, published scientific works or artistic creations.

(2) The nomination of professors shall consists of the procedure for the nomination of a professor (hereinafter only "nomination procedure") and the nomination¹²) of the professor.

§ 6

Course of nomination procedure

(1) The nomination procedure shall commence with the submission of an application by the applicant to the Chairman of the Scientific Council of the faculty or a higher education institution that is not divided into faculties.

(2) The application shall be furnished by

a) a CV

b) a verified copy of the document on the completion of higher education

c) a verified copy of the document on acquisition of a scientific-academic degree or artistic-academic degree or other scientific or artistic degree,⁵) or an academic-scientific degree according to prior rules,

d) a verified copy of the decree on the nomination as associate professor,

e) a summary of the educational activity and results achieved in educational activities,

f) a list of original published scientific, professional and artistic works, textbooks, a review of scientific-research works solved, scientific-technical or artistic projects developed, patent and inventor's certificates, inventions and technical projects, a review of references and comments given on scientific and artistic works and artistic creations, and a summary of lectures and lecture stays at home and abroad,

g) the most significant scientific, professional, or artistic works, textbooks, study texts, documents on artistic works or artistic performances,

h) other basic materials according to the criteria for nominating professors.²)

(3) Nomination procedures shall be carried out at the faculty or higher education institution if the institution is not divided into faculties that is entitled to carry out the nomination procedure⁶) and in the field or a relative field of which there is at least one professor.

(4) If the Chairman of the Scientific Council of the faculty or higher education institution that is not divided into faculties discovers that the application for commencing the nomination procedure does not contain all the requisites according to section 2, he shall order the applicant to remove his shortcomings within a period of time. If it is a field in which he is not entitled to carry out the nomination procedure, he shall return the application with the documents appended to the applicant.

(5) As long as the applicant does not remove the shortcomings in the application for commencing the nomination procedure, the nomination procedure will be interrupted.

(6) With the agreement of the Scientific Council of the faculty or a higher education institution that is not divided into faculties, the Chairman of the Scientific Council of the faculty shall appoint a chairman and additional two to four members of the commission and shall determine three opponents from among professors or significant scientific or artistic workers of the field or, if there is no professor working in the field, from a related branch in such a way that only one opponent and only one member of the commission are employees of the faculty or the higher education institution if the institution is not divided into faculties, at which the nomination procedure is carried out. At least two members should be from another institution and one member from a scientific or artistic institution, including one from abroad.

(7) The opponents shall develop the opponents' statements within 60 days from the nomination of the opponents.

(8) Within 30 days from the nomination, the commission shall examine the fulfilment of the criteria for nominating professors that was approved by the Scientific Council of the higher education institution²) based on the submitted application with Annexes of the applicant according to section 2. At conclusion on the fulfilment or non-fulfilment of the criteria shall be shown in the written proposal that shall be submitted through the chairman of the Scientific Council of the faculty to the Scientific Council of the faculty or a higher education institution that is not divided into faculties.

(9) The Chairman of the Scientific Council of the faculty or a higher education institution that is not divided into faculties, shall announce the date, time and place of the execution of inauguration lecture, the first name, surname and workplace of the applicant and the theme of his lecture no later than 14 days at the latest before its execution in the daily press.

(10) The inauguration lecture is public and held before the Scientific Council of the higher education institution that is not divided into faculties and a commission. In the inauguration lecture the applicant shall present his entire contribution to the development of his scientific or artistic discipline and his personal view of its present and future states.

(11) Based on the appended documents, the opponents’ statements and professional evaluation of the level of the inauguration lecture presented, the commission shall give a general assessment of the level of the pedagogical, scientific or artistic, and publishing activities of the applicant. The proposal along with an evaluation of the commission, the opponents’ statements and the appended documents shall be submitted by the chairman of the commission or a member that is a professor to the Scientific Council of the faculty or a institution that is not divided into faculties, with the recommendation:

a) to appoint the applicant as a professor in the respective field, or

b) not to appoint the applicant as a professor in the respective field.

(12) If the nomination procedure takes place at a faculty, or an institution not divided into faculties, different from the one at which the applicant is educationally active, a representative of this faculty or an external educational institution shall also be summoned to discuss the proposal before the Scientific Council of the faculty or a higher education institution that is not divided into faculties.¹)

§ 7

Discussion of the proposal on nominating a professor

(1) If the applicant fulfils the criteria on the nomination of professors within six months of submitting the proposal by the commission, the Scientific Council of the faculty or an institution that is not divided into faculties shall verify on the basis of proposal for nominating the professor with all the documents according to § 6, section 2, if during the entire course of the procedure, it was followed according to this Decree. If the applicant does not fulfil the criteria on the nomination of professors, the Scientific Council of the faculty or a higher education institution that is not divided into faculties, shall issue a decision thereof.

(2) If the Scientific Council of the faculty or an institution that is not divided into faculties discovers that the course of the nomination procedure was not in agreement with this Decree, it shall decide on the mode of removing shortcomings.

(3) If the Scientific Council of the faculty or an institution that is not divided into faculties discovers that in the course of the nomination procedure it was observed as set up by this Decree, but the commission will not recommend nominating the applicant as a professor, it shall issue a decision thereof.

(4) If the Scientific Council of the faculty or a higher education institution that is not divided into faculties discovers that during the habilitation, the procedure set up by this Decree was observed and that the habilitation commission recommended nominating the applicant as a professor for his respective field, it shall decide through a secret ballot to submit the proposal for nomination.

(5) The Chairman of the Scientific Council of the faculty or a higher education institution that is not divided into faculties shall send to the applicant⁸) a written copy of the result of the discussion of the Scientific Council of the faculty or a higher education institution that is not divided into faculties on the proposal of nomination of the professor within 15 days from its discussion by the Scientific Council. A written copy of the result of the discussions by the Scientific Council of the faculty or a higher education institution that is not divided into the faculties, on the proposed nomination as a professor along with the documents on the previous course of the habilitation shall be simultaneously delivered to the Rector of the higher education institution.¹³)

(6) If the Scientific Council of the higher education institution shall approve the proposed nomination of professor through a secret ballot,¹⁴) the rector shall submit it together with the documents on the previous course of the nomination procedure along with the documents according to § 6, Section 2, (g) and (h) to the Minister of Education of the Slovak Republic¹⁵) or to the appropriate minister.¹⁶) At the same time, it shall announce the result in written form to the applicant for nomination as a professor within 15 days of discussing it by the Scientific Council of the higher education institution.

§ 8

The award of the degree of professor to applicants who have received the scientific-educational or artistic-educational degree of associate professor according to previous rules without habilitation is conditional upon the successful completion of the habilitation procedure according to this Decree. The applicant shall not be issued a decree on his nomination as associate professor, but a document on the successful habilitation signed by the dean of the faculty or rector of a higher education institution that is not divided into faculties.

Final provisions

§ 9

A habilitation procedure or nomination procedure commenced before the date of the effectiveness of this Decree shall be completed by hitherto binding legal regulations.¹⁷)

§ 10

The Decree of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the SR No. 448/1990 of the Law Code on the habilitation of associate professors and the nomination of professors shall lose its effectiveness.

§ 11

This Decree shall come into force on January 1, 1998.

Eva Slavkovská, signed by her own hand

 ANNEX

SAMPLE

NOTIFICATION ON THE NOMINATION OF AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

..............................................................................................................................................

Name of the faculty that is entitled to carry out the habilitation procedure in a given branch

First name, surname, degrees of the associate professor: ........................................................

Number of birth registration of the associate professor: .........................................................

Workplace of the associate professor: ...................................................................................

Nominated as associate professor in the field of: ....................................................................

Date of effectiveness of nomination as associate professor:.............................................................

Habilitation thesis on the theme .............................................................................................

..............................................................................................................................................

Opponents: ............................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

First name, surname, degrees and honours of opponents, their workplaces

Habilitation lecture on the theme:............................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................

Habilitation commission: ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................

First name, surname, degrees and honours of members of the commission, their workplaces

The defence of the habilitation thesis was held on: ................................................................

...............................................

Signature of the Rector

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