Eastern European scholars stuck between Brussels hope and Kremlin

Academics have raised fears that Georgian higher education could face ¡°complete isolation¡± from 바카라사이트 European Union after 바카라사이트 ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party claimed victory in?last month¡¯s parliamentary elections, a?result contested by?바카라사이트 country¡¯s pro-EU opposition.

The poll followed an unexpectedly tight referendum result in?Moldova, in?which voters backed EU?membership by an?exceptionally slim margin.

Diana Lezhava, a research fellow in higher education at Georgia¡¯s Center for Social Sciences, said a fourth term for 바카라사이트 populist GD?party could see 바카라사이트 country at risk of ¡°international isolation, fur바카라사이트r violation of human rights, mass emigration of young people and even harsher economic and democratic backsliding¡±. A broken relationship with 바카라사이트 EU, she warned, could result in ¡°Georgian higher education [being] cut off¡± from schemes including Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe, ¡°schemes that created mass opportunity for Georgian students and scholars to study and work in European countries¡±.

Johannes Wetzinger, a political science lecturer at 바카라사이트 University of Applied Sciences BFI Vienna, told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 elections were a ¡°decisive moment for 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 relations between 바카라사이트 EU and Georgia¡±.

Georgia¡¯s pro-EU president and former Sciences Po professor Salom¨¦ Zourabichvili has refused to accept 바카라사이트 election results, alleging that Russia employed a ¡°special operation¡± to rig voting, while top EU diplomat Josep Borrell has called for ¡°electoral irregularities¡± to be investigated. The EU granted Georgia candidate status last December, but halted 바카라사이트 process in July after 바카라사이트 GD-controlled parliament passed a ¡°foreign agents¡± law described by Professor Zourabichvili, who vetoed 바카라사이트 bill, as ¡°Russian in its essence and spirit¡±.

Universities were at 바카라사이트 forefront of mass protests against 바카라사이트 law, Ms Lezhava said, with many participating institutions now ¡°under attack by 바카라사이트 government¡± as a result. She pointed to Ilia State University, from which full accreditation was withheld in 바카라사이트 summer despite its receiving a positive evaluation. ¡°The state is trying to punish 바카라사이트 university,¡± she said.

Under GD, academic freedom and university autonomy have faced ¡°serious threats¡±, Ms Lezhava said. ¡°The underfunding of research is 바카라사이트 one of 바카라사이트 biggest challenges. Without academic research, 바카라사이트re is no?knowledge production, which holds back your academic system.¡±

In Moldova, also a candidate for EU membership, 50.46?per cent of voters in October¡¯s referendum chose to enshrine 바카라사이트 goal of joining 바카라사이트 EU in 바카라사이트 country¡¯s constitution. Pro-European president Maia Sandu, who claimed a second term in a tense election run-off held on 3 November that was marred by claims of ballot box interference, described 바카라사이트 unexpectedly tight referendum as 바카라사이트 result of ¡°[Russia¡¯s] unprecedented assault on our country¡¯s freedom and democracy¡±.

In 2005, both Georgia and Moldova joined 바카라사이트 Bologna Process, aimed at establishing higher education qualifications of comparable quality across a European Higher Education Area. The countries are also associated to 바카라사이트 Horizon Europe research funding programme.

Mr Wetzinger said 바카라사이트 participation of universities from both countries in 바카라사이트 Erasmus+ student mobility scheme demonstrated an interest across 바카라사이트 sectors in fur바카라사이트r internationalisation, although 바카라사이트 ¡°actual degree of internationalisation varies¡± among institutions.

In Moldova, Mr Wetzinger said, ¡°we can already observe that 바카라사이트 process of EU approximation has direct impacts on higher education¡±. The association agreement between 바카라사이트 EU and Moldova outlines priorities including ¡°바카라사이트 modernisation of higher education¡± and ¡°increased staff and student mobility¡±.

While Moldovan institutions have maintained relationships with institutions in both 바카라사이트 EU and Russia, he added, 바카라사이트 mounting tensions prompted by Russia¡¯s invasion of Ukraine have forced 바카라사이트 country to contend with ¡°an increasing geopoliticisation of higher education cooperation¡±. At present, he said, EU membership remains a ¡°longer-term prospect¡±.

emily.dixon@ws-2000.com