The University of Luxembourg is in a multifaceted crisis, says Uni.lu law professor Luc Heuschling. The issue is partially about labour law, but the university is also not working in the country’s favour, the professor told RTL on Friday. A week ago, Heuschling co-authored an open letter with history professor Benoit Majerus, highlighting a “structural malaise” affecting the university’s hierarchy and way of functioning.
Heuschling said the university was in crisis and claimed it was not up to the task of meeting Luxembourg society’s demands, but that no one was critically engaging with this issue due to institutional reasons.
To illustrate this, the law professor used the example of a master’s degree in Luxembourgish law. Such a basic course is still not available at the university, in spite of the shortage of lawyers. The university instead offers just very specific, niche, master’s degrees, which do not meet the country’s requirements.
Heuschling said that discussions had been going on for three years regarding a master’s in Luxembourgish law, with a positive general consensus. But in the end, the dean of the law department refused the project “from one day to the next”.
Heuschling declared himself disturbed by the manner in which the University of Luxembourg had attempted to stifle negative reporting at its core and to discredit public criticisms. He complained that it was impossible to say in advance that any criticisms printed in the press were unsubstantiated. The rector of the university had initially dismissed the complaints of bullying as “individual cases of frustration”.
Although Heuschling could not say how widespread bullying is at the university, he believed it was clearly more than one or two cases. Selected incidents had even been followed up with legal consequences. He declared formally that all reports should be taken very seriously.
Heuschling explained that any labour law issues were down to structural dysfunction within the university. The structure of the institution, as defined in the university’s laws, is the problem. In the open letter, Heuschling and Majerus demanded that the University Act and its governance be overhauled.
The law professor said that the lack of teaching staff speaking out about the university’s issues is due to the precarious working conditions, particularly for young professors. This is also down to structural issues. In France, professors have more legal protection than in Luxembourg, for example.
The government must take the lead in order to effect change, Heuschling said, rather than waiting for the result of an external audit. In principle, politicians in the past had always been sensitive towards any questions regarding the University Act.
Heuschling and Majerus were due to meet with the university rector Jens Kreisel on Friday afternoon.
