Centre for Civic Education (CCE) welcomed the decision of professor Milenko Popović regarding his resignation in the Senate of University of “Mediterranean”, as the reaction to the decision of Commission of that institution that there are “no legal grounds” to determine whether Sanja Vlahović and Milan Babović plagiarised their scientific works.
CCE reminds that University of “Mediterranean” was precisely one of the first Montenegrin higher education institutions that introduced plagiarism in its Code of academic ethics in 2013. Article 6 of that Code prescribes: “Academic and professional staff must not use someone else’s works or ideas without citing sources “. By failing to apply the law as well as its acts, and analyse these cases at the Ethical committee, University of “Mediterranean” endangers its own credibility.
At the same time, University of “Mediterranean” conveyed a message that it is both possible and acceptable, on that higher education institution, to obtain scientific references and be appointed based on plagiarisms. This undermines the basis of academic ethics and practically justifies intellectual theft and fraud.
CCE urges other professors from the University of “Mediterranean” to clearly distance themselves from establishment of negative practice on this institution and do everything which is in their power to process and sanction both these and similar cases of plagiarism of scientific work.
Finally, CCE hopes that competent bodies will determine factual state of affairs based on the complaint which CCE submitted to Prosecution and consequently process these cases before Montenegrin courts.
Daliborka Uljarević, executive director