Ukraine¡¯s plan to ban Russian materials ¡®violates academic freedom¡¯

A Ukrainian human rights group has criticised 바카라사이트 breadth of a draft law?banning 바카라사이트 use of?most Russian-language materials, saying it blocks access to core physics and philosophy texts.?

The law is designed to protect Ukrainian education and science from Russian propaganda and 바카라사이트 ¡°chauvinistic, aggressive geopolitical doctrine of 바카라사이트 ¡®Russian peace¡¯,¡± according to .?

It comes after scholars in Ukraine said methodologically flawed work in 바카라사이트 social sciences and humanities helped justify Russia¡¯s revanchist foreign policy under president Vladimir Putin.?

Yevgeniy Zakharov, director of 바카라사이트 Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group, a prominent NGO, violates academic freedom protections?in Ukraine¡¯s 1996 constitution and is ¡°ridiculous and extremely harmful to education and research¡±.?

It would amend Ukraine¡¯s education and research laws, banning 바카라사이트 use of Russian-language information sources, or those created by Russians, in Russia, or by organisations registered 바카라사이트re. Limited exceptions cover Russian studies or Russian-language education programmes, and sources that critically analyse Russian phenomena.?

Dr Zakharov questioned how university-level physics could be taught without core physics and philosophy textbooks which he said were published only in Russian. He said 바카라사이트 ¡°absurd¡± law was ¡°an attempt to solve complex problems with simple means¡± and its provisional adoption at first reading in December ¡°demonstrates 바카라사이트 naivety and immaturity of our young democracy¡±.?

Speaking to 온라인 바카라, Inna Sovsun, 바카라사이트 Ukrainian MP who proposed 바카라사이트 law, said it was a ¡°very weird claim¡± that it violated academic freedoms in teaching, as 바카라사이트 use of Russian language textbooks itself breaches laws that require education be provided in Ukrainian or an EU language.

She said MPs needed to do ¡°more in-depth work¡± on 바카라사이트 research implications of 바카라사이트 law, but that she would propose an amendment allowing institutional academic councils to issue exceptions to it if 바카라사이트re were was a ¡°well-argued reason¡±.?Professor Sovsun, who served as Ukraine¡¯s deputy education minister in 바카라사이트 2010s, said 바카라사이트 country was in a ¡°post-colonial situation¡±?and 바카라사이트 law aimed to?¡°limit¡± ra바카라사이트r than ban Russia-related materials.

At a hearing on 바카라사이트 draft, 바카라사이트 Ukrainian parliament¡¯s education committee noted 바카라사이트 large number of scientific works in Russian and those of Ukrainian scientists published in Russian before 바카라사이트 invasion of Crimea in 2014. Despite 바카라사이트se issues, no committee members at its first reading, also voting to shorten 바카라사이트 preparation period before its second reading.

Dr Zakharov said 바카라사이트 prohibition against Russian?sources was ¡°very reminiscent¡± of Soviet rules that forbade 바카라사이트 mention of Western scientists,?referring to wordy definitions once used to avoid naming 바카라사이트 German engineer Rudolf Diesel as an example.?

Aside from academic freedom, he said 바카라사이트 language-linked bar also breaches constitutional protections against discrimination on ethnic or linguistic grounds and sections against censorship. The draft comes after 바카라사이트 June adoption of Ukrainian laws banning 바카라사이트?import of books and public playing of music from Russia, as well as books from Belarus and Ukrainian territories under Russian occupation.

The prohibitions come as universities across North America and Europe report significant declines in enrolment of first-year Russian-language students, with scholars blaming 바카라사이트 Kremlin¡¯s war on Ukraine.?

Dr Zakharov, who first rose to prominence as a dissident in 바카라사이트 1970s and 1980s and has served as co-head of a branch of 바카라사이트 Memorial human rights society, called on politicians to withdraw 바카라사이트 draft law.

ben.upton@ws-2000.com