President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova addressed today the celebration of the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the “Iustinianus Primus” Faculty of Law – Skopje.
Below is the integral text of the address of President Siljanovska Davkova.
Esteemed Madam Rector,
Distinguished Dean and Vice Deans,
Respected President of the Students’ Parliament,
Respected guests,
Dear and loved students,
The Faculty of Law is the birthplace and home of legal, political and communication sciences. Moreover, it was my working and spiritual home for about forty years.
Even when I am not here, it is in my thoughts.
The numbers say that thousands of people have spent part of their lives herein: around 48,000 students, 600 masters, 250 doctors.
I was informed that today, 73 professors and 4 assistants teach, research and create in this Corbusier brutalist building.
The Macedonian politics cannot be imagined without our Faculty: four out of a total of six Macedonian presidents graduated from Iustinianus Primus, and two, my colleague Ivanov and I, were professors. Some of the Prime Ministers have also studied at the Faculty of Law.
The vast majority of administration, judges, including those from the constitutional court, public prosecutors, attorneys, notaries as graduated lawyers, masters or doctors have been recruited from this prestigious factory of knowledge.
My fatal relationship with law was encouraged by some top law professors: Ivo Puhan, who evaluated my knowledge with the highest grade, Slavko Milosavlevski, whose heretic thought influenced my habitus, the lucid Socrates admirer Gjorge Marjanovic, whose highest grade was my favorite, my professor Vladimir Mitkov and many and more others, some of who are seating here, who encouraged my love for this wonderful profession.
At the Faculty of Law, I spent restless, intellectually rich, inspiring student days, whereas my professional life was busy, fruitful, competitive, innovative, reforming.
I am fortunate to be surrounded by smart, critical, constructive, dedicated and proven colleagues who have grown up to be respected professors.
Iusticia was our patron, and nomos, logos, ethos and pathos our life philosophy.
Socrates-oriented, we enjoyed the educational intellectual game, infecting the students with the virus of the critical mind, controversy and disobedience.
The work bears tasty fruits: books and papers in prestigious journals and publishing houses, noted participation in international conferences, involvement in important projects, membership in scientific and educational associations and organizations…
Healthy relationships with students, with colleagues, at home and abroad were born in the professor’s life.
For me, the Faculty of Law was and remains a prestigious higher education institution, a temple of law and justice, a mentor to young scientists, a parent of political sciences and communication, a nursery of good lawyers, political and communication scientists.
Notwithstanding, it faced with Scylla and Charybdis, with difficult dilemmas and challenges, yet many professors and assistants were loud and clear in the battle for university autonomy, but also in the fight for democracy and law.
The seventy-three-year educational-scientific saga is a time of growth and maturation, success and affirmation, steadfastness and resistance to injustices of different kind.
For me, “Iustinianus Primus” remained my home, for whose democratic functioning I fought while I was here, and even when I left, I defended it.
Luckily, I became what I wanted to be: a professor passionately in love with the profession.
I was lucky to teach constitutional law and political system, and even to be selected as the most inspiring professor. It was not difficult for me, because law and justice, ethics and morals were my and your guide, and the greatest inspiration were my students!
May this Faculty be the chivalrous educational and scientific arena, and my colleagues be better than me and us, their teachers!
