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The University of Chile reported that a Undergraduate student at the Institute of Public Affairs referred to the Nazi leader Adolf Hitler “as his inspiration in his professional career”, a situation that led to a complaint from a teacher and an internal background collection process.
In a message “to the university community”, the director of the Institute, Hugo spring, detailed that the incident occurred “last week, in an English course taught (…) by a dependent professor of the Undergraduate Department of the University of Chile “.
In this context, “a student made a presentation where she spoke of Adolf Hitler as her inspiration in her professional career”, after which “The teacher of the course declared his inability to evaluate said work and his discomfort to continue with the student.”
The professor, at the same time, “raised the situation” to the higher academic instances, until, the day before, on “Wednesday December 16, the Directorate of the Institute of Public Affairs became aware” of what happened.
Freedom of expression with limits
“Our Institute follows the values and principles of the University of Chile, which promotes freedom of expression and the debate of ideas of the community both inside and outside the classroom. However, the exercise of this freedom is limited by the dignity and integrity of third parties “Frühling said.
In consecuense, “We categorically reject that, within the framework of university activities, an apology is made to a person responsible for the mass extermination of people. We especially understand the personal involvement of the professor, due to his Jewish descent, a group that was a direct victim of these crimes“added the director.
“In view of the gravity of this case, we are gathering the necessary information to adopt the actions regarding this situation “, indicates the statement of the academic unit, which ends by noting: “Circumstances of this type are occurring in different universities in Chile and the world. (So) we must move towards a discussion and regulation in this regard. “
The teacher spoke: “37 members of my family were victims of the Holocaust”
The professor who made the complaint spoke with The clinic, but refusing to make public his name and that of the student.
As he explained, the work of the controversy was a video exhibition, where the young woman declared that the maximum icon of world Nazism is “her inspiration”, then, “Although he did cruel things, he did not give up, he was determined to conquer the masses”.
“I could not evaluate this presentation on Hitler, I found it too offensive. My mother’s family is Jewish and 37 members of my family were victims of the Holocaust. It was highly offensive, inappropriate, and downright gross“pointed out the teacher.
The academic also said that, after what happened, requested that the student be changed section in the last remaining classes of the course, and initially his superiors rejected him.
“The University is a space for debate, therefore we cannot censor the thought that the student expresses in her evaluative activity. Although we recognize that it would be a speech that can be described as extreme, the University should be a space to debate and discuss those speeches“he points to an email he received in response.
After being supported by the Union of Honorary Workers of the University of Chile, the issue finally reached the management of the Institute, which issued the aforementioned statement.
