In higher learning institutions like Universities, people must be recruited, hired, trained & promoted on merit without discrimination with regard to race, color, gender, age, religion, national & ethnic origin, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation.

I have found the Norwegian system to be the best because it is transparent. A year ago, I applied for the Onsager Fellowship. After a couple of weeks, I received the list of all the people who had applied, sex, country and age. Another document latter came, evaluations of all the candidates. As a candidate, I was not surprised when I wasn't shortlisted, I was competing with more than 10 years after PhD and I had less than 6 months. With my 4 papers and 3 book chapters, others had 30 total. My point is the key is transparency.

Thank you Dr. Edmond Sanganyado for your comment. Transparency, in my view, is necessary for an academic institution to function well since everyone who joins it will be assured of getting fairness & no higher boss will impose upon the institution an employee arriving by a parachute.

In some 3rd world universities, members of a department are often surprised when the dean of the faculty calls upon them to get acquainted with their new unheard of colleague "who was appointed by an order from above". In such corrupt places, the university's budget & the "real" number of enrolled students are top secrets kept by 2 to 3 persons.

There is a 3rd world university in which its chancellor declared it as his own kingdom or farm enforcing a despotic policy that scared nearly all the employees. This is not a unique case since any criticism, in many academic circles, is usually counted against the critic even if it was constructive & serves the best interests of the institution.

His question is scientifically very timely and it helps a lot to the scientific community.

I believe that public policies, oriented to equity, can alleviate this phenomenon of a global nature.

Institutional discrimination can be addressed through state regulations that promote and control equal access to higher education.

The discriminatory conflict in our time, to a great extent, is produced by unequal access to the material goods that support education, for example: not all students can access modern technological means: electronic tablets, computers, cell phones, etc. It is a discrimination of a technological nature

However, it is not possible for an underdeveloped country to apply policies of technological equity that allow equitable access to these means. Especially if you’re economic difficulties increase artificially, from the outside.

University laboratories are planned to support the teaching-learning process fairly. However, students prefer an increasingly individualized use of these technologies, if possible in their home.

Unequal access can damage the student's self-esteem and this situation contributes to the abundance of a discriminatory cycle that can influence even school performance Improving.

I admit that Professor Reinaldo Requeiro is tackling nicely the problem of discrimination from a very interesting angle. In a good number of 3rd world countries, a variety of technological tools are available for most of the students. However, the students are usually not guided to utilize them well in an optimal manner so they are wasting precious time on the social media in "shallow" chats losing the opportunity to learn from them & to broaden their horizons.

One of the duties of a university is to produce graduates who have skills of communication & leadership. The ongoing discrimination (in terms of "racist" appointments) has led to disappointing results since "incompetent" teachers cannot deliver the goods & shape up the desired characteristics that are sought after. More than that, the proficient teachers are harassed by continuous witch-hunt by some malicious staff to incapacitate them.

Many promotions, into higher posts as done in several universities, have been dictated by anything except merits. That has been & will be a formula for decline in the educational systems on global scale.

It is unfortunate that discrimination is now deeply rooted in academia.

I must thank Dr. Gehan Selim for her honest concise comment. Many scholars know that there is discrimination in many universities but the brave ones will dare to talk about it frankly. This is a reactionary attitude which is against progress.

There is a paradox that goes on unnoticeable or unspeakable. Someone in a high managerial post will claim that he is keen on serving his university & his country while his decisions & actions are incessantly discriminatory thereby betraying both.The brilliant minds are not monopoly of a certain race or gender or a city or an affiliation.

In a 3rd world country , if you happen to be an academic inhabiting in town (X) and employed in a university in town (Y) that speaks a different accent from yours then you will be despised even by the janitors who belong to (Y). Isn't that a silly attitude?

Thanks Dr.Mutasem Z. Bani-Fwaz for your constructive contribution. I am a retired academic & some may advise me to leave it all. Nevertheless, I have a duty to call for an extensive overhaul in universities for the sake of human progress.

In their present state of affairs, many universities are corrupt places. That the suitable person, occupies the apt post, is a very big lie. That a certain person reached the top managerial post, by virtue of appropriateness, is a myth.

I am really continuously astonished how scholars keep silent upon seeing a dictatorial administration being imposed on a university for so many years. It is a big insult for all of them in the sense that no one of them is considered good enough to replace the "big brothers". Again, discrimination (in this regard) keeps on playing a hefty role.

If the university values a proper academic and professional standards, then this should not be happening at all.

I welcome the comment presented by Professor Eduard Babulak. A university will normally have a set of standards but the good point is that it ought to be valued. Once it is valued, then the expectation will be that it will be followed.

However, you will always find those who do not sincerely abide & who will find ways to maneuver around a given code of conduct. I have a 16 years old story in which discrimination, practiced by a top official, has helped a scholar to be acquitted from "punishment" hitting common sense severely:

In a 3rd world country, the prevailing circumstances prevented (then) some lecturers from reaching a university. One of the scholars was looked upon as inferior by the "big brother" so his salary was subjected to a deduction of 7 days pay for the absence of 3 days while another scholar "from the town of that boss" received no deduction even though the second was absent for 15 days.

I really wonder how such corrupt universities can contribute to the progress of a nation while they are real "fortresses" of injustice.

Faculty members discriminate in the classroom by the responses their students give and humiliate them. I have students who were terrorized like these by professors and refuse to pursue their education by going on leave.

I have gratitude towards the contribution of RG colleague Mary Ann Gina Mercado Valderrama. Yes, there is discrimination in various fronts in academic circles & this requires remedy at a global level.

In medication, a good diagnosis of an illness is needed before prescription of medicines. In politics, openness & transparency ought to precede reform.

Many scholars avoid dealing with this question: Why most students hate the academic institutions in which they were "trapped" & they like holidays or days off?

Well, these are examples of answers that I gathered from students from different parts of the world long time ago:

1) I hate this environment which contains many persons who think of themselves as superior to others (students & other staff).

2) Many professors in academia are arrogant beyond belief.

3) There is no atmosphere that allows free exchange of ideas.

4) A good number, of those who hold high titles, do not forget & forgive. The student may comment about something "not liked by the Prof." & s/he will fail him/her spitefully.

5) Academia is full of pretense & hypocrisy. So it is unsuitable for a person who has been brought up to be honest & to value straightforwardness.

I am sure that a lot of Research Gate colleagues have stories to tell about various types of discrimination that are practiced in universities. This story will, hopefully, encourage more RG members to participate:

In a 3rd world university, chairmanships of departments were rotational with each person given the opportunity to get the post for 2-3 years. This went on for a long time until the arrival of a president "who believed that God has created people to become the president's servants". In 2004, he denied a "free" scholar (X) to get his opportunity because he knew that the man could not be enslaved , would not spy on his colleagues, and would never harm other staff by reporting them in a despicable way. To defend his injustice, this president told his servants to spread the bold lie that (X) had a weak personality!

Later on, it was found that he also denied (Y), (Z)… and others in several departments for the same reason.

Now, what type of discrimination was that ? I suggest that it is discrimination between those who reject slavery & those who come to terms with slavery.

In higher learning institutions like Universities, people must be recruited, hired, trained & promoted on merit without discrimination with regard to race, color, gender, age, religion, national & ethnic origin, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation.

Discrimination should not have been part of the university system where scholars are supposed to cling to truths due to the high level of academic experience. However, it is sad that many resort to this folly in several universities. Should we attribute it to human frailties or irresponsibleness on the part of such persons? The institutions and persons in the university are not white as angels but must strive to rid themselves off discrimination.

The truthful facts why discrimination should not be mentioned in universities are:

1. Humans emanate from one source and thus gives no room for discrimination

2. Excellence and qualifications based on merit are the basis for the attainments of academic sponsorship and opportunities with no room for partialities as a result of gender, race or ethnic affiliations

3. High ethical standards should be the hallmark of universities. Therefore, inproperly getting access to some keys (opportunities) should not be entertained.

4. Society looks up to the academia for directions via extensive research and teaching. As such, universities must set the precedence in justice while refraining from all forms of discrimination.

5. HR departments and appointments committees must appoint persons with good morals and a high sense of ethical behavior such as justice to eradicate discriminations in whatever form.

We all need to remember that when we discriminate, we sow seeds of favoritism that leads to anti-peace actions such as violence, chaos and war. Best regards

Dickson Adom

I live and work on the territory of the former Yugoslavia. I do not belong to any of the so-called. constituent nationalities. In the age of so-called the socialist period, this social community referred to me as a person who does not deserve trust. It was not rare that the management of the university where I worked as a teacher significantly prolonged my progress in university professions. Such a commitment was accepted without any demonstrated opposition of the university staff, although my professional success was well above average. Being under the burden of social inequality in the former Yugoslavia and now in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the constant state of my private and professional life. It seems to me that I have an understanding and empathy for the people on which the social community related with contempt. People with problems similar to my problems are at every university in the World. Ask the question "Does the university have discrimination?" it is not politically correct. We all know that discrimination and omaliscination can be registered at every university in the World. Asking this question means that these phenomena can not be noticed.

The fully other question is:

"How to fight against discrimination and underestimation at universities?"

To this question, the global academic community should find the answer

I am very grateful for the contributions of RG colleagues professors Subhash C. Kundu, Dickson Adom, and Daniel Romano.

I am sure that lot of scholars know very well that discrimination is extensively practiced at most universities globally. Those, who think that they get advantage from this flawed practice, usually try to deny it by distorted arguments contrary to what facts & figures will stridently tell.

For example, when you see a country having 14000 full professors of a certain color while it has 16 full professors only of a different color then discrimination must have been implemented on large scale. One of the "racist" scholars would come & say that this is our country in which we promote our citizens & the 16 persons (and their fellows) are merely immigrants who must thank their lucky stars that we allowed them to live here. Well, such ridiculous excuse is worse than the practice (in regard of discrimination) because what academic life has to do with indigenous & foreigner? Science & technology has advanced thanks to diverse contributions of many high-quality intellectuals with a variety of colors & ethnic origins.

Until when the discriminatory attitudes will continue? Is it until we witness the down-fall of educational systems or are these systems can endure unabated injustice?

In short, to expose the evil & proclaim the truth brings in the end of a possible down-fall of establishments.

How a "racist" can spoil the good feelings of retired persons & hurt them?

In several corners of a 3rd world university, the retirees received good meals, sincere farewell wishes, and encouraging words by their wonderful colleagues.

A "racist" boss looked at the list of retirees & saw that most of them do not belong to his city or to his political affiliation, so he advised the decision-makers to postpone giving an increase on the basic salaries of all of the university's employees for ~ 3 months to avoid the long-serving retired persons from getting advantage of what the rise will accumulate in their final pay. The maximum, that all of them will receive, was about 50,000 U.S. dollars "which is peanuts, in reality".

When a terrible "racist" person is present in a university, he will destroy its reputation while claiming to serve it by such shameful miserable deed.

The answer to your question may be true or false, it depends in the first place on the social policy of the country in which the University is and how it promotes human development, equity and justice.

When, as in my country, free education services are guaranteed at all educational levels (including universities) and equal opportunities for access to higher education in correspondence with the preparation of applicants, even with artificially increased financial difficulties from the outside, as expressed by Reinaldo Requeiro, equal opportunities are greater.

I, truly, welcome the comment of Prof. Alicia Alonso Becerra since I understood, from it, that the presence of the negative phenomenon of discrimination has to be related to the specific environment where it is practiced & the particular people involved in following this wrong attitude.

However, my impression (that has been shaped up through the years & after first hand lengthy experiences) is that discrimination at many universities (I did not say all universities in my question or in my comments) is the rule rather than the exception. Indeed, I have lot of stories to tell "which I gathered from friends & through personal observations".

Academic institutions contain persons who are crafty enough to play this dreadful game in a very tricky manner & by a multitude of mechanisms that try to hide this appalling practice. They will pretend to be not guilty!

Even if there are financial difficulties, decent people will always stick to the righteous attitude of justice for all. The real test comes when universities are turned into businesses or commercial ventures (as is done in many - but not all- parts of the world).

This is a real story which shows how much discrimination can be counter-productive:

In a 3d world university, there was an agreement (between the administration & the employees union)that when the number of students enrolled in a course becomes 60 or higher, then the instructor's load for that course is increased by one hour.

This worked well until the Summer of 2011, when a free instructor (X) had 60 students registered in one of his advanced courses. (X) notified the academic boss about that but the boss refused to add the extra hour although he added 2 hours for a lady (Y) for 2 courses "of 60 students each" in the 2nd semester of that year. That has meant that (X) has lost ~ 400 US $.

In the next Summer 2012, the story of (X) recurred with the number of students reaching 62. Again the boss refused & the president "pretended to be fair" but he shared this refusal. In that particular Summer, an instructor (Z) had 60 students in one of his courses & the boss counted 4 credit hours for him instead of 3. (X) has lost also another ~400 $.

Why (Y) & (Z) were treated well by the academic boss ?

(Y) belonged to a famous family in the city, one of the top leaders of an organization, and a friend of the university's president.

(Z) shared with the boss the same area of origin & also the membership in a political affiliation.

This cruel blatant injustice or discrimination caused an unpredictable outcome. Scholar (X) stayed away from giving the "optional" Summer courses starting from Summer 2013 to the Summer of this year. Since (X) has been well-liked by the students, the university has lost more than 150,000 US $ (i.e. much more than the sum of money X has lost).

Some may say that X lost the revenue of 5 Summer courses,as well, but when a truly free man assumes a " dignified stand", this will override a revenue coming through humiliation.

Another story of shameful discrimination:

A 3rd world Asian national university is located in a city & most of the instructors (who come from that city) consider it their own property & not belonging to the whole nation. A racist discrimination is practiced to show that the other native scholars are inferior.

At that university, there has been a decision to give the same exams for all the sections of certain general courses. The "city" instructors usually insist upon forming the committee which prepares all the exams "1st, 2nd, and final".

They do not allow other native instructors to see any exam before it is given. After the "city" instructors see an exam, they will give an extra lecture under the cover of "review" before an exam. In this meeting, they will hint at or even reveal the questions to their students. This way, their students get higher marks than the students of other sections.

A "superficial" observer will think that the racist instructors are "great !" not knowing that there has been treachery. However, a "faithful" observer will keep in mind that there is divine justice which will deal with those unfair swindlers.

Universities are the last destination to assess the right of humanity and uplift the knowledge power ! If a University fails to confirm the right of its students , I think its the deceive of a mother with her child. And it is plain and simple.

Thanks for your comment Md Zafar Alam Bhuiyan. When discrimination is practiced in universities, the perpetrators will try to do it in the most cunning way & to pretend afterwards that they have been fair & angelic.

This wrong practice will be transmitted to the younger generation like a disease & will cause more harm than imagined. Many persons forget about the far consequences of erroneous attitudes, unfortunately.

I am sad to say this, but it is true that there is discrimination in universities when it comes to recruitment.

I believe that race, color, gender, age, religion, national & ethnic origin, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation are not important. Instead universities should to look for qualities such as education, experience, professionalism, and morality.

I agree with you Dr. Abdullah Noori that there is "shameful" discrimination in recruitment at many universities. Those who have authority to appoint new recruits ought to know the qualities that are to be sought if they truly like to see their universities progressing.

A person to be added to the academic staff must have: 1) capability to do the job, 2) honesty in carrying out the duties, 3) good memory & focus in order to present organized lectures, 4) broad updated knowledge which covers the textbooks & beyond.

The new added scholar will gain more experience & professionalism as time goes by provided that the 4 mentioned qualities are found in him/her.

Before accepting the appointment of someone, those concerned must look thoroughly & think properly about the "newcomer". A "CV" filled with research publications does not necessarily mean that the scholar is competent in teaching "which is the major duty at a university". There are devious games played in "faking" research papers in some countries so this requires due care.