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, Daily NK has learned.
“The scientific research departments of several universities both in Pyongyang and elsewhere in 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 Ministry of Education raised the issue with the universities 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 at universities across the country to handle the administrative aspects of funding professors’ research and reviewing the awarding of academic degrees and promotions.
The Ministry of Education has regularly provided these scientific research departments with Pyongyang travel passes, research funds, and permission to issue degrees and promotions, the source said.
The Pyongyang travel passes in particular were issued so that the professors of the provincial universities could personally visit the Grand People’s Study House to get the documents and other materials needed for their research.
But the universities have been issuing Pyongyang travel passes to professors who wanted to visit Pyongyang for personal reasons unrelated to their research and giving research grants to people unrelated to actual research, prompting the Ministry of Education to get involved, the source said.
Just three schools face reprimands – for now
The education ministry has raised questions at 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.