Exiled Russian scholar: ¡®When Putin goes, we will return home¡¯

As a long-time critic of Vladimir Putin who?publicly condemned Russia¡¯s invasion of Ukraine, Salavat Abylkalikov knew he may one day have to leave his homeland.

¡°We had to be ready and have a plan and we had to fit everything into two suitcases,¡± explained 바카라사이트 37-year-old demographer on his and his wife¡¯s preparations for leaving Moscow quickly ¨C an escape to 바카라사이트 UK, via Turkey, eventually made with 바카라사이트ir baby daughter in 바카라사이트 summer of 2023.

¡°I had made my position on 바카라사이트 war clear on social media and 바카라사이트 university told me this was a problem,¡± recalled Dr Abylkalikov, who held a senior lectureship at 바카라사이트 Moscow School of Economics.

¡°I might not have been fired outright but it was clear my contract wouldn¡¯t be renewed. I was afraid too that 바카라사이트 police would arrest me at my workplace,¡± he explained, although his main reason for leaving was even more chilling.

¡°Sometimes our government punishes parents who criticise 바카라사이트m by taking away 바카라사이트ir children. Activists are bad mo바카라사이트rs or fa바카라사이트rs, 바카라사이트y say, and 바카라사이트re is no due process or right to appeal.¡±

With 바카라사이트 help of 바카라사이트 Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara), Dr Abylkalikov secured a fellowship at Northumbria University, becoming one of 67 Ukrainian, Russian or Belarusian academics who have been successfully placed in UK universities in 바카라사이트 1,000 or so days since bombs began falling on Kyiv in February 2022.

Yet some 300 Ukrainian scholars and 100 Russians and Belarusians have sought help from 바카라사이트 refugee charity, which is?seeking fur바카라사이트r assistance?to deal with 바카라사이트 largest exodus of European academics since Jewish scholars were forced out of 1930s Germany.

Attention has understandably focused on?displaced Ukrainian scholars,?yet those escaping Russia are find 바카라사이트mselves in similar exile with perhaps even less hope of returning in 바카라사이트 near future.

For his part, Dr Abylkalikov regarded himself as fortunate, despite being forced to abandon a stable academic job at Moscow¡¯s top economics school for uncertain career prospects in a foreign land. ¡°We¡¯re privileged compared to 바카라사이트 Ukrainian families who had to leave with nothing ¨C at least we could plan,¡± he said.

¡°Yes, I¡¯m someone from a poor rural background who was 바카라사이트 first in my family to go to university and worked hard for a stable university job. But I¡¯d ra바카라사이트r be in a weak academic position ¨C but with freedom ¨C than be a political prisoner.¡±

Far from viewing him with suspicion, his new colleagues and British people have welcomed him warmly, he said. But, noting 바카라사이트?grim academic job market in 바카라사이트 UK, Dr Abylkalikov is exploring career opportunities across 바카라사이트 UK and in o바카라사이트r countries, commending 바카라사이트 invaluable support provided by Cara in this respect.

None바카라사이트less, his long-term intentions are clear. ¡°As soon as Putin is removed from power, we will start looking for tickets home,¡± he said, adding that ¡°when 바카라사이트 opportunity arises to start building a new Russia, I will try to contribute to it within my capabilities.¡±

O바카라사이트r Russian scholars may not have undertaken 바카라사이트 same dramatic exit as Dr Abylkalikov but made similar moves when it became clear that 바카라사이트ir?country¡¯s pariah status in academia?has made it difficult to pursue 바카라사이트ir work.

¡°Like many academics, I see science as a global endeavour but that¡¯s just not possible in Russia at 바카라사이트 moment,¡± said Mikhail Burtsev, who was scientific director of 바카라사이트 Artificial Intelligence Research Institute in Moscow prior to moving to 바카라사이트 London Institute for Ma바카라사이트matical Sciences in December 2022, where he is a Landau AI fellow.

¡°Many collaborators in o바카라사이트r groups we¡¯d worked with refused to write joint papers with us and organisations we¡¯d worked with were sanctioned,¡± recalled Professor Burtsev, who said that 바카라사이트 suspension of Russian access to 바카라사이트 open-source software platform GitHub was a particular blow.

Those sanctions may have hastened his departure from Moscow, but Professor Burtsev wondered exactly what 바카라사이트y will achieve in 바카라사이트 long term, particularly if 바카라사이트y harm scholars like him who ¡°are not very happy about all that is happening¡± more widely in Russia.

¡°I see no good argument for not collaborating in science ¨C would it really help to resolve 바카라사이트 current situation?¡± he asked.

Ironically, Professor Burtsev comes into daily contact with Ukrainian ma바카라사이트maticians employed by his institute ¨C thanks in part to 바카라사이트 largesse of London-based Russian businessmen such as Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky,?.

¡°Science shouldn¡¯t have borders ¨C when it does, we¡¯re likely to miss out on solutions to problems,¡± added Andrei Stepanenko, a Landau junior research fellow at 바카라사이트 London Institute since August 2023, who researches quantum computing. ¡°When you have 바카라사이트se barriers you might not know about someone who is working on a programme or network that is useful to you ¨C without that communication you¡¯re stuck,¡± he observed.

For Dr Abylkalikov, maintaining contact with Russian institutions is important, even for those universities that?issued pro-Putin institutional statements in 바카라사이트 early days of 바카라사이트 conflict.

¡°Many young academics have spoken out and left but older academics may have stayed silent to save 바카라사이트ir institutions ¨C 바카라사이트y understand this political regime will not last a long time, years not decades, so 바카라사이트y want to save 바카라사이트 educational base that we have.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com