Art Academy Rector Vows Action to Keep Foundation from Reneging on Funding
Academy of Arts rector Signe Kivi has announced that her office will push for an appeal of a decision by Archimedes Foundation to pull out of funding a part of the institution's new building.
"We were ready for a negative decision, but did everything so that it would not go that way. Thus we're disappointed," said Kivi at a press conference on January 12.
Kivi said she would call for a meeting of the supervisory board of the Academy to discuss the situation.
She said the rectorate has been drafting a proposal that the decision by Archimedes Foundation be challenged, something that has to be done within 30 days.
Kivi assured reporters that althogh she was worried about the future of the institution, the quality of education at the Academy would not suffer. "Our academic work is functioning and the quality has not suffered."
The Academy's financial and administrative director Andri Simo said the decision by Archimedes to pull out of its 12 million euro pledge seemed "hasty" and said the building could still be completed by 2014.
The Academy had put up about 5 million euros so far, Simo said, which has covered site papers and archaeological excavations. That work would not have gone ahead, he said, had Archimedes not sent a positive signal as to funding.
Archimedes made its announcement on January 11, two days short of a year since it pledged financing for the design and construction of the building.
Kristopher Rikken