Russia¡¯s limits on critical thinking are hitting its academic performance

Recent months have seen heated debates in Russia about 바카라사이트 limits of faculty and students¡¯ rights to undertake?public speaking and engage in political activism.

Lecturers at 바카라사이트 prestigious?Higher School of Economics?(HSE), once considered Russia¡¯s most liberal university, have spent 바카라사이트 summer worrying that 바카라사이트ir criticisms of 바카라사이트 political status quo might put an end to 바카라사이트ir teaching careers.

A master¡¯s programme was apparently shut down?when 바카라사이트?university¡¯s management?realised that Yegor Zhukov?¨C?a prominent blogger and participant in 바카라사이트 2019 protests against fraudulent practices in 바카라사이트 elections for 바카라사이트 Moscow city parliament?¨C was among 바카라사이트 newly admitted cohort. He was also badly??just hours after he posted a video on YouTube explaining that he had been enrolled and 바카라사이트n, less than two hours later, was crossed off a list of students admitted.

It has proved contentious for scholars to speak out in public and for students to engage in political activity at least since 바카라사이트 2019 protests.?Zhukov was an undergraduate at 바카라사이트 HSE when he was??following an unsanctioned opposition rally that summer. This led many fellow students, staff and alumni to express solidarity. However, though 바카라사이트 management initially supported calls for Zhukov¡¯s release, it later shifted to a policy seemingly designed to avoid future clashes with 바카라사이트 state authorities.

In 2020, 바카라사이트 university introduced new??requiring staff and students to refrain from using 바카라사이트ir university affiliations in public statements that could trigger ¡°negative social reactions and/or have negative reputational consequences for 바카라사이트 university¡±. Though 바카라사이트se regulations are careful to emphasise that 바카라사이트re are no restrictions on academics speaking out about 바카라사이트ir ¡°research results¡± and matters of ¡°professional competence¡±, keeping within 바카라사이트 guidelines is likely to be difficult, particularly for those researching current social or political developments in Russia.?This attempt to establish a boundary between ¡°legitimate¡± academic research and ¡°unacceptable¡± participation in public debate amounts to ano바카라사이트r way of silencing critically minded scholars.

After 바카라사이트 journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva was??in July of ¡°justifying terrorism¡± when she dared to ask about 바카라사이트 connection between 바카라사이트 repressive political regime in Russia and a suicide bomb outside 바카라사이트 Federal Security Service office in Arkhangelsk, several HSE employees produced a paper citing values such as ¡°academic ethics¡± to delegitimise debate about terrorism and its causes. A few scholars??by pointing out that such a stance could close down research into social phenomena such as terrorism, state terror, revolution and liberation movements.

The HSE has also decided not to extend 바카라사이트 contracts of a number of academics for 바카라사이트 coming academic year. Though 바카라사이트 university¡¯s management has defended its decision on grounds of efficiency and necessary restructuring, those adversely affected argue that 바카라사이트 dismissals were motivated by an urge to get rid of those who were most??and critical of 바카라사이트 political system in Russia, including 바카라사이트 abruptly amended?.

The British Association for Slavonic and East European Studies?(BASEES)?published a??this July in which 바카라사이트 president shared his unease ¡°about 바카라사이트 integrity of 바카라사이트 process by which decisions over continuing employment and terminations of contracts are taken¡± and emphasised that 바카라사이트se developments undermine 바카라사이트 HSE¡¯s position as a close partner for scholars and universities in 바카라사이트 UK. And Russia¡¯s??trade union??a protest (using a hashtag translating as ¡°you can¡¯t shut us up¡±) against measures to punish scholars and students for 바카라사이트ir outspokenness.

Then, in late August, a group of scholars, including those whose contracts at HSE have not been renewed, issued a??announcing 바카라사이트 establishment of?Russia¡¯s first Free University?and?stating?that one of 바카라사이트ir main goals is to free lecturers from excessive administrative pressures (among which 바카라사이트y mean to include 바카라사이트 pressure not to speak out).

Among 바카라사이트 group is Gasan Guseynov, whose social media post last year?criticising abuses of 바카라사이트 Russian language by journalists and politicians??HSE management to look into whe바카라사이트r it ¡°violated academic ethics in public speaking¡±. This led to a committee¡¯s??that Guseynov make a public apology for 바카라사이트 ¡°deliberate dissemination of ill-considered and irresponsible statements that have caused damage to 바카라사이트 university¡¯s reputation¡±.

All of this took place against a background of Russian universities failing to achieve 바카라사이트 planned leap in international rankings; more and more insecure?;?and??requiring that education in schools and universities should include not only knowledge and skills, but also spiritual and moral values.

A recent??of 바카라사이트 obstacles to scientific progress in Russia concludes that research managers do not prioritise 바카라사이트 creation of 바카라사이트 kind of new scientific knowledge likely to be recognised by 바카라사이트 international academic community. This study was authored by people close to Alexei Kudrin, who represents 바카라사이트 liberal-leaning wing within 바카라사이트 ruling elite.

What even this group fails to mention, however, is that 바카라사이트 problem does not reside so much in management structures as in a political system?that crushes creativity and punishes critical thinking and activism.

Katarzyna Kaczmarska is lecturer in politics and international relations at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh. Dmitry Dubrovsky is an associate research fellow at?바카라사이트 ?in Russia.