Ministers discuss solutions to university’s financial situation
MINISTERS are working on plans to find a solution to the financial difficulties currently being experienced at Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU), one of the TRNC’s most prestigious higher education institutions.
Members of the EMU administration attended a Council of Ministers meeting on Tuesday, during which discussions centred around a draft “protocol” that aims to address the university’s financial predicament.
According to a report in Cyprus Today’s sister newspaper Kıbrıs, Education Minister Nazım Çavuşoğlu has been granted authority to implement financial measures outlined for EMU and conduct legal studies concerning these measures.
Given that EMU’s revenues can cover only 68 per cent of its expenses, the initial focus will be on reducing high salaries, Kıbrıs reported.
Salaries at EMU will be adjusted to ensure that the highest does not surpass the salary of the TRNC President.
No measures will be taken for employees on lower salaries, but teaching positions in departments experiencing a decline in student numbers will be re-evaluated, it was reported.
A concerning revelation indicates that without prompt intervention, EMU may struggle to meet salary obligations at month-end, potentially escalating the cost to the state to 1.7 billion TL. Adequate measures could require the Finance Ministry to inject between 600 million TL and 1 billion TL into EMU.
The newspaper noted that the number of students registered at EMU has declined from 20,000 to around 16,300.
About 72 per cent of current students receive scholarships, compounding the economic challenges. Measures are expected to address this issue.
Dr Erdal Özcenk, chairman of the EMU Foundation Board of Directors, acknowledged ongoing talks about the protocol, estimating a completion timeframe of 15-20 days. He emphasised the need for the state’s support to ensure EMU’s sustainability.
Özcenk noted that university tuition fees are determined at the beginning of the semester, in September, and that both inflation and the cost of living have increased since then.
He also highlighted the importance of EMU to the local economy, stating that Gazimağusa would turn into a “village” if the university were to close.
Another issue is EMU’s rising pension bill, with Özcenk calling on the state to take over the cost.
Ercan Hoşkara, head of the EMU-SEN trade union, stressed the importance of reflecting the cost of living in salaries in accordance with legislation, anticipating payment based on the inflation rate for the last six months. Hoşkara warned of potential legal actions if no resolution is reached.
Erdal Altun, head of another EMU staff union called EMU-Per-Sen, claimed that the protocol, although not signed, has been implemented “by force”.
He highlighted the union’s expectation for the government to protect EMU, a state institution, amid its challenging circumstances.
Meanwhile President Ersin Tatar, who chaired the Council of Ministers meeting, said the government is working hard to overcome EMU’s issues.
Stating that EMU is “one of the most important institutions of the TRNC”, President Tatar said: “It is indeed important to protect the brand value of EMU, which is one of our important universities. I believe that the difficulties being experienced at the university can be overcome through planned initiatives and efforts, which is what have been discussed today.”
In recent years EMU, which was established in 1979, has been named as one of the best universities in the world according to The Times Higher Education global rankings.