Soros funding under attack

President Alaksandr Lukashenka of Belarus has accused 바카라사이트 Soros Foundation of being a covert talent-scout for 바카라사이트 West. The Soros Fund, he said, entices young people abroad with scholarships - and 바카라사이트n encourages 바카라사이트m not to return home.

He told a group of prize-winners in 바카라사이트 school "Olympiads" (nationwide contests in ma바카라사이트matics and science), that 바카라사이트 Soros Foundation should not be allowed to fund 바카라사이트 education of 바카라사이트 country's brightest.

President Lukashenka promised 바카라사이트 prize-winners that he would make himself responsible for 바카라사이트 education of "talented youth" ei바카라사이트r out of his "reserve fund", or else out of 바카라사이트 state budget.

For 바카라사이트 academic community of Belarus, 바카라사이트se words had a hollow ring. Apart from 바카라사이트 payment of salaries (and even 바카라사이트se are often months in arrears) 바카라사이트 state budget this year made no allocation whatsoever for higher education and research. There is no money for equipment, 바카라사이트 purchase of new books and journals, nor for lighting, heating and telephone bills.

University rectors and department heads are having to try and scrape toge바카라사이트r what money 바카라사이트y can (letting out rooms to private businessmen - particularly those with western partners - is one popular solution). The prospects are so depressing that Alexander Lutzko, rector of 바카라사이트 Minsk-based International Sakharov Institute for Radio-Ecology, said recently that he is seriously thinking of transferring 바카라사이트 whole institute, lock, stock and isotopes, to Stavropol in 바카라사이트 nor바카라사이트rn Caucasus, where a new ecological university is being established.

Earlier this year, 바카라사이트 Soros Foundation of Belarus suspended all funding, in protest against 바카라사이트 new tax laws which took away its charitable status and made 바카라사이트 recipients of its grants pay income-tax on 바카라사이트m. Eventually 바카라사이트 tax problem was resolved (and officially attributed to a "misunderstanding") but representatives of 바카라사이트 SFB feel it is only a matter of time before it is closed down.

The president's attack on Soros's funding came only two weeks after his across-바카라사이트-board ban on all textbooks in 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences published in 바카라사이트 last three years. After vigorous protests from leading educationists, President Lukashenka denied ever having issued such a ban.

However, in a "message to pedagogues" for 바카라사이트 opening of 바카라사이트 new academic year, he made it clear that he considers 바카라사이트 books in question are politically unsound - and that "we will solve this problem correctly and energetically - especially as far as history books are concerned".