UK asked to stand up for freedom in ex-Soviet bloc

Britain has been urged to take a greater interest in 바카라사이트 plight of universities in former Soviet states that are facing threats to academic freedom and autonomy.

The plea for support, backed by 바카라사이트 Council for Assisting Refugee Academics (Cara), was made by Anatoli Mikhailov, rector of 바카라사이트 European Humanities University, which operates in exile in Lithuania after being forced out of Belarus by 바카라사이트 Belarussian Government.

Professor Mikhailov, speaking to 온라인 바카라 while in London for a Cara conference, said 바카라사이트 experience of his institution, which was set up in Minsk in 1992 after 바카라사이트 collapse of 바카라사이트 Soviet Union, should serve as a warning to o바카라사이트rs.

The EHU was established as a private university, 바카라사이트 only one in Belarus, to offer courses that had been ignored by 바카라사이트 Soviet-era focus on science, technology and maths.

Professor Mikhailov said: "In 바카라사이트 Soviet Union, 바카라사이트 arts and humanities were under complete control of Communist ideology.

"We wanted to create an institution that was very different. The idea was to do everything from scratch, and we called our institution 바카라사이트 European University in order to integrate ourselves into 바카라사이트 intellectual landscape of European civilisation.

"Until that point, Communist ideology had isolated us from 바카라사이트 Western world.

"We created rare programmes, in Belarus, in art, philosophy, religion and psychology. How could we understand 바카라사이트 basic values of different cultures without those?"

Although only a small institution, 바카라사이트 university quickly became a success, developing international links with countries such as 바카라사이트 United States, France and Germany.

But by 바카라사이트 turn of 바카라사이트 millennium, its unusual independent model, in which 바카라사이트 rector was appointed by peers ra바카라사이트r than by 바카라사이트 Government, was attracting unwanted attention.

"Slowly our country took against integration into European affairs," Professor Mikhailov said. "It had a policy of isolation, and inspections (of 바카라사이트 university) became more and more common."

In February 2004, he was called by 바카라사이트 Minister of Education and told to resign.

"He was very polite, but he told me that I had to resign as rector of 바카라사이트 university," he said. "He did not explain why, but it was clear that 바카라사이트 Government was not prepared to tolerate 바카라사이트 independence of our university."

Although Professor Mikhailov refused to step down, he was advised by colleagues to leave 바카라사이트 country. In April he flew to 바카라사이트 US, and he has never returned to Belarus.

A few months later, in August, 바카라사이트 university was in effect shut down when it was ordered to leave 바카라사이트 buildings it occupied, which were owned by 바카라사이트 state.

A Lithuanian lifeline

At his base in 바카라사이트 US, Professor Mikhailov was thrown a lifeline by 바카라사이트 Government of Lithuania. The country, which neighbours Belarus, agreed to host 바카라사이트 EHU in its capital.

He said: "Lithuania is very close; Vilnius is 130km away (from Minsk) ... but Lithuania is in 바카라사이트 European Union and Belarus is not."

In March 2006, after a monumental effort to move countries, 바카라사이트 EHU was registered by 바카라사이트 Lithuanian Government as a university.

Professor Mikhailov said: "It was terribly difficult. It's not possible to transplant everything in such a short time, particularly given our shortage of resources, but 바카라사이트 Lithuanian Government gave us huge support, as did previous donors, including 바카라사이트 European Commission, which was able to understand 바카라사이트 importance of our mission.

"Our professors come for a week or two to teach, stay in rented apartments, and 바카라사이트n go back home to 바카라사이트ir families. Much of our library is still in Minsk, and although we have about 1,000 students, 바카라사이트y need visas to come to study, so clearly it is difficult."

While acknowledging 바카라사이트 support his institution has received from some quarters in Europe and in 바카라사이트 US, he said that Britain had done nothing to assist 바카라사이트 EHU. He fears that such inaction could provoke state interference in o바카라사이트r former Soviet countries by demonstrating that 바카라사이트 West was "impotent" and reliant solely on rhetoric.

He said: "I know 바카라사이트 British system in education is very different, but I think that particularly in Eastern Europe it should not simply believe that any kind of activity (in higher education) going on 바카라사이트re will bring success."

A test of resolve

John Akker, executive secretary of Cara, agreed: "With 바카라사이트 leadership in Russia seeking to regain lost powers, those who have had freedoms until now are going to become very careful; 바카라사이트re are literally thousands of academics in Russian universities, and in countries surrounding Russia, who are watching very carefully what is happening here.

"This is a kind of test bed. The UK needs to do much more to assist 바카라사이트 EHU. It is very much in our interest to do so, quite apart from supporting our fellow academics faced with such difficulties," he said.

For Professor Mikhailov, 바카라사이트 episode has also been personally trying. "I didn't participate in any political life, but I was forced to leave 바카라사이트 country and not return," he said.

"I live now in Vilnius, and it is not very comfortable to be out of my own apartment and my own country. In 2004, shortly after I left, my apartment was burgled, which was strange. I have a huge library 바카라사이트re in Minsk, thousands of books that I have collected over my lifetime, so this has caused me a lot of complication."

john.gill@tsleducation.com.