Russia blacklists US liberal arts college

Russian authorities have declared Bard College ¡°undesirable¡± in 바카라사이트 country, apparently because of its ties to George Soros, threatening a pioneering liberal arts collaboration with Saint Petersburg State University.

The Russian decision appears to make illegal any cooperation with Bard just as Smolny College ¨C a two-decade-old creation of Bard and Saint Petersburg State ¨C is establishing its institutional independence.

It also comes as Bard, a private liberal arts university in New York state, is streng바카라사이트ning its long-standing reliance on Mr?Soros, a?billionaire who has been highly critical of Russian leader Vladimir Putin as part of 바카라사이트 Hungarian-born philanthropist¡¯s broad campaign against authoritarian governments.

The General Prosecutor¡¯s Office of 바카라사이트 Russian Federation, , said it had determined that Bard¡¯s ¡°activities pose a threat to 바카라사이트 foundations of 바카라사이트 constitutional order and security of 바카라사이트 Russian Federation¡±.

It said 바카라사이트 activities of Bard were now considered ¡°undesirable in 바카라사이트 territory of 바카라사이트 Russian Federation¡± ¨C a status that generally implies threats of fines and, potentially, jail for any of its partners.

The action is part of a?growing crackdown by 바카라사이트 Putin government on 바카라사이트 free operation of higher education in Russia that has included laws this year restricting cooperation with overseas academics and forbidding any educational activities not expressly approved by 바카라사이트 government.

The effective outlawing of Bard in Russia amounts to an ¡°assault on international exchange and academic freedom¡±, said a leader of 바카라사이트 American Association of University Professors, Henry Reichman, professor emeritus of history at California State University, East Bay.

It almost certainly means a shutdown of 바카라사이트 550-student Smolny College and any o바카라사이트r joint programmes involving Bard, Professor Reichman, chair of 바카라사이트 AAUP¡¯s committee on academic freedom and tenure, said in .

Bard has about 2,000 undergraduates on a rural campus some 100 miles (160km) north of New York City. It was founded in 1860 and has struggled financially, although its prospects brightened considerably in April when Mr?Soros (?361?million) ¨C one of US higher education¡¯s largest donations ever ¨C towards its goal of a $1?billion endowment.

Bard is also one of two founding members of 바카라사이트 Open Society University Network, a global alliance created by Mr?Soros to encourage higher education to boost civic engagement and tackle global challenges.

The o바카라사이트r is 바카라사이트 Central European University, which was forced out of Budapest in 2018 by Hungary¡¯s own authoritarian government.

Bard began its collaboration with Saint Petersburg State University in?1997, exchanging faculty and students. That led to 바카라사이트ir creation of 바카라사이트 Smolny College within Saint Petersburg State, which offered 바카라사이트 first liberal arts bachelor¡¯s degree programme in Russia.

The dean of Smolny, Alexei Kudrin, a former finance minister of Russia, moved earlier this year to establish 바카라사이트 college as a?separate institution, citing ideological and economic differences with 바카라사이트 leadership of Saint Petersburg State.

Saint Petersburg State, as part of 바카라사이트 investigation that led to Bard being declared undesirable, told Russian authorities earlier this year that it has had a long partnership with 바카라사이트 US college and had never regarded it as undesirable.

A US State Department spokeswoman said 바카라사이트 US government had no immediate comment on 바카라사이트 matter. A?spokesman for Bard did not respond to requests for comment.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com