Treatment of cartography in official classification of fields of sciences and its misuse by the State Educational Inspectorate and the University of Tetova

Abstract. Cartography in the under-law regulation for classification of fields and sciences in North Macedonia (page 49-93, annex 2, official gazette no.103 year 2010, http://www.slvesnik.com.mk/Issues/3F71A9F8CEFC884D813AD80158E3FBAD.pdf) in the same time is listed under the natural and technical sciences with two separate codes, namely: 10502 under the group of geography fields and 20606 under geodesy fields (official gazette no.103 year 2010, annex 2, pages 51 and 57). Based on this classification, non-cartographers, even official officers of the governmental institutions, gets wrong indicator as if they were two different type of science fields. This was the legal base for deliberately abuse by the officials in the State Inspectorate of Education in North Macedonia (http://dpi.mon.gov.mk) and University of Tetova (www.unite.edu.mk), which began on January 2016.

In the minutes and decision nr.09-38 from 18.01.2016, contrary to article 17 of the Law for educational inspection (http://mon.gov.mk/images/documents/zakoni/zakon_za_inspekcija_26-02-2016.pdf), the state educational inspector Gjorgji Ilievski, made artificial and crucial difference between cartography as science under technical sciences and cartography as other science under natural sciences, by deciding that those who has PhD on cartography in technical faculties such as geodesy are not eligible to be elected as cartography lecturer/professor in the faculties of natural sciences such as geography department. This is non-professional and non-real distinction, however in the law system of North Macedonia, the signed decision nr.09-38 has an inspectional executive legal status, which should be obligatory used by the others as a legal base for other decisions. This is very dangerous situation, because the official decision by the state institution (State Educational Inspectorate) have to be used by all other institutions as a legal base for other procedures/decisions, even though it contain totally incorrect and non-professional proof!

Based on the decision nr.09-38 from 18.01.2016 of the State Educational Inspectorate, on 22.06.2016 Vullnet Ameti as Rector of the University of Tetova has signed a decision nr.02-2094/1 for revocation of academic degrees in cartography under the natural sciences, with the same justification that “a PhD title on cartography that has been acquired in technical sciences is not eligible for getting academic position of cartography professor in geography department”. This is the second official document/decision which has direct negative impact to cartography and cartographers in North Macedonia.

Main proof which proves that both decisions are deliberately abuse by the officials in the State Inspectorate of Education in North Macedonia and the University of Tetova is classical falsification on my professional identity. In both documents, signer’s educational inspector Gjorgji Ilievski as well as rector Vullnet Ameti have used wrong profession for my education as civil engineer, even though I have never studied in my life the civil engineering. In both documents, the signers have written supposedly that my PhD diploma is on civil engineering with code 207 (based on official gazette nr.103, year 2010; page 57). Such kind of decisions in which the signers change your profession without any document, is a crime and violation of the human rights.

For the crime, falsification, non-real difference of scientific fields and non-professional actions, with the deliberately abuse by the officials in the State Inspectorate of Education in North Macedonia and the University of Tetova, all relevant institutions of North Macedonia have been informed, such as: Ministry of Education and Science, Academy of sciences, Ombudsman, Public prosecution, the Office of Prime Minister, the commission for anticorruption, the council of inspections, the administrative inspection, the administrative court, and the commission for discrimination, as well as some international organizations accredited in North Macedonia. However, until today, the end of February 2019, any concrete decision which will punish the signers of decisions with wrong proofs doesn’t reached to me!

In order to proof the opposite of those used in both decisions/minutes of State Inspectorate of Education in North Macedonia and the University of Tetova, the clarification has been asked to be given by the Sector for high education in the Ministry of Education and Sciences of North Macedonia (www.mon.gov.mk), and by the International Cartographic Association (www.icaci.org). Two documents with answers have been delivered from both institutions. Answer of the sector for high education nr. 14-9498/2 of 17.08.2017 prove that my PhD thesis defended in year 2007 in geodesy department at the Faculty for civil engineering of the University of “St. Cyril and Methodius” in Skopje is in the field of cartography, as well as prove that doesn’t exist any difference between cartography listed in the technical and natural sciences in the under-law regulation for classification of fields and sciences in North Macedonia (annex 2, official gazette no.103 year 2010). Non-existing difference between cartography listed under the technical (geodesy) and natural (geography) sciences is proved also in the “Letter of Clarification/Confirmation for Cartography as independent science and its relation to natural and technical sciences” issued by the International Cartographic Association on 02.10.2018. Both documents have been submitted by me to the State Inspectorate of Education in North Macedonia and the University of Tetova, as well to other relevant institutions in North Macedonia, however until today, this issue has not been solved by any institution in North Macedonia. Therefore, additional international input by the International Cartographic Association is needed, because the destiny of cartography, cartographers and the individuals who are dealing with cartography can-not be left in hands of irresponsible officers who misuse their official positions to sign such a kind of illegal decisions (nr.09-38 from 18.01.2016, and nr.02-2094/1 from 22.06.2016) in order to punish certain people, in this case punishing me!

The used codes 10502 for cartography under the group of geography fields and 20606 under geodesy fields (official gazette no.103, year 2010, annex 2, pages 51 and 57) are part of the under-law regulation known in North Macedonia as “International Frascati Classification of scientific fields”. However, this type of classification is not fully compatible with the Frascati classification, which means that usage of word “international” doesn’t reflect the reality. The proofing of this statement is very easy. In any country worldwide can not be recognized the same classification with same codes 10502 and 20606 for cartography, even all codes used in this regulation. These proofs clearly indicate that the classification in North Macedonia called “International Frascati Classification of scientific fields” is not an international classification, so it is just a classification in national level, and it is not internationally used.

The beginning of this kind of classification in North Macedonia was established in year 2001 within the Tempus project CME-03118-97 (http://ftu.uklo.edu.mk/FTU/html/soopstenija/naucni%20polinja.pdf), and is formalized in year 2010 as underlaw regulation for “International Frascati Classification” (official gazette no.103, year 2010, annex 2). The classification called “Класификација на Научни Полиња, Подрачја и Области (Дисциплини) на Истражување” is performed in year 2001 within the project “Developing a system for quality assessment of educational performance to be introduced in Macedonian universities” under the Tempus programme CME-03118-97, by defining 960 scientific fields in the third level of classification, based on CERIF 1998 (Common European Research Project Information Format), UNESCO 1998 and two levels of Frascati Manual 1993 by OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development , https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000101730). Nine year later, on year 2010, this project output (list of classification) has been used as a basic document for officialization of the classification of scientific fields in North Macedonia.

Even though classification from year 2010 (official gazette no.103, year 2010, annex 2) is based on documents from year 1993 (by OECD) and 2001 (by TEMPUS project), it is still in official use in North Macedonia for all official procedures in the high education sector, although it is more than 2 decades old and doesn’t fit the big technological changes happened in sciences during the last decades. Unfortunately, contrary to the reality, it is used as legal and professional base for illegal minutes and decision nr.09-38 signed by Gjorgji Ilievski on 18.01.2016 and decision nr.02- 2094/1 signed by Vullnet Ameti on 22.06.2016.

Since the state educational inspectors in State Educational Inspectorate are officers with bachelor or master education in pedagogy, history, geography, physical education etc., the supervision of high educational process in public and private universities in North Macedonia is in very critical point, because the officers with bachelor or master degree on education have to supervise university professors in specific scientific areas, which is impossible mission!

At the web site of the Ministry of education and sciences (http://www.mon.gov.mk/index.php/2014-07-24-06-34-40/pravilnici), in the page for regulations, as well as in the page regulation of the web site of the State Educational Inspectorate (http://dpi.mon.gov.mk/index.php/regulations/pravilnici), searched on February 2019, the “International Frascati Classification” from year 2010 (official gazette no.103, year 2010, annex 2) is missing.

In the latest Law for high education in North Macedonia (official gazette no. 82, year 2018, http://www.slvesnik.com.mk/Issues/e70eb6afb4a04960b76db298d126db17.pdf), Frascati Classification is kept as basic document for two levels of classification, defined in article 2 point 16, while the third level should be defined as national standard (article 43, point 18). However, until today a new classification is still not defined, so unfortunately the older one from year 2010 with data from years 1993 and 2001 is still in official use.

During the oral presentation within the upcoming ICA conference in Tokyo-Japan, many practical problems in cartography are coming from mentioned regulation and its misuse by the state educational inspectors in North Macedonia and the University of Tetova, authenticated with concrete official documents will be presented.