Education ministry cracks down on universities’ careless dispensing of funds, travel passes

Anxiety is in the air after North Korea’s education ministry disciplined the scientific research departments of three prominent universities for carelessly providing research funds and travel passes to Pyongyang, the Daily has learned NK.

“The scientific research departments of many universities both in Pyongyang and in other parts of the country distributed large amounts of research funds and one-month travel passes to Pyongyang to inappropriate people and projects in January. As a result, the The Ministry of Education raised the issue with the university last week and informed them of its disciplinary measures,” a source in North Korea told Daily NK on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

North Korea maintains scientific research departments in universities throughout the country to handle the administrative aspects of funding teacher research and reviewing the awarding of academic degrees and promotions.

The Ministry of Education regularly provided these scientific research departments with Pyongyang travel passes, research funds, and permission to issue diplomas and promotions, the source said.

Pyongyang travel passes in particular were issued so that professors from provincial universities could personally visit the Great House of Study of the People to obtain the documents and other materials necessary for his research.

But universities have issued Pyongyang travel cards to professors who want to visit Pyongyang for personal reasons unrelated to their research and give research grants to people unrelated to current research, prompting the Ministry of Education to get involved, the source said.

Only three schools are issuing reprimands – for now

The education ministry raised questions in the scientific research departments of three universities: the University of Science and Technology (located in Pyongyang), Hamhung University of Pharmacology and Kim Jong-suk University of Education.

As part of the ministry’s disciplinary action, the scientific research department at the University of Science and Technology in Pyongyang will be forced to issue fewer degrees and promotions in the spring semester, and the scientific research departments in the two provincial universities will be limited to issue. a month of travel passes to Pyongyang.

“The ministry said that it is against the principles of the Workers’ Party for Pyongyang’s travel passes and research funds entrusted to the departments to be used by unrelated persons and that such violations will be punished according to the law and party policies. The ministry seems to be planning to start the year by imposing the law on departments,” the source said.

Disciplinary measures taken against university-level scientific research departments both in Pyongyang and outside Pyongyang, and threats to punish further violations at both the party and legal levels have caused anxiety in such departments throughout the country, said the source.

“The most important performance indicator for scientific research departments at university level is how many academic degrees and promotions are awarded in a given year. As a result, the disciplinary step of reducing the number of internships for students and teachers it finally means that the department will have a poor performance for the year. This is why other scientific research departments are taking precautions so as not to suffer disciplinary measures.”

Translated by David Carruth. Edited by Robert Lauler.

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