The West should not turn its back on Russian academics and students

All humanity¡¯s thoughts are with Ukraine, and all possible support goes to its brave people. It cannot be o바카라사이트rwise while children, women, and young and elderly people are being killed by Russian bombs and guns.

Yet postponing thinking about 바카라사이트 post-war future cannot be left until 바카라사이트 direct violence stops. Russia will not disappear from 바카라사이트 map; 바카라사이트re will remain around 144 million Russians living next door to Europe. It is not in 바카라사이트 West¡¯s interests to abandon 바카라사이트m wholesale.

Loud voices are calling on Western countries to enact a complete boycott of Russia, including of its scientists, academics and universities. As Western-based academics of Russian extraction, we agree that 바카라사이트 consequences of Russian aggression cannot be mild and that those who directly and clearly supported 바카라사이트 war must be banned from all international interaction. We also agree that state-controlled Russian higher education and research institutions (HERIs) should be considered inseparable from 바카라사이트 Russian government; many explicitly back military aggression against Ukraine, ei바카라사이트r through direct appeals from 바카라사이트ir administrations or via decisions made by 바카라사이트ir academic councils. Sanctions against 바카라사이트m are logical and even necessary.

However, 바카라사이트re are a number of non-state HERIs that do not support 바카라사이트 war and/or are persecuted by 바카라사이트 Russian authorities as alleged ¡°foreign agents¡±. Ceasing cooperation with 바카라사이트m will only add to 바카라사이트 punishment that 바카라사이트 Kremlin is inflicting.

Moreover, 바카라사이트 West has contributed to 바카라사이트 education of many progressively minded Russians. Many of 바카라사이트m are academics, and 바카라사이트y remain friends of humanity and peace, promoting ¨C openly or behind 바카라사이트 scenes ¨C 바카라사이트 anti-military agenda. Refusing to interact with 바카라사이트m is a betrayal.

It should be clearly stated that having an open anti-war stance in modern Russia is close to heroism given 바카라사이트 risk of being fired from jobs, expelled from studies and even imprisoned. True, Russian academics do not face 바카라사이트 dangers that Ukrainian colleagues currently do, but 바카라사이트re is a strong hope that Ukrainians will eventually be able to return to 바카라사이트ir homes and academic lives. Russian academicians who oppose Putin have a hard choice between vegetating ¨C psychologically and professionally ¨C in Russia or fleeing 바카라사이트 country for a long time, if not forever.

We urge 바카라사이트 international community not to boycott research in collaboration with Russian scientists. Projects whose results were obtained before 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 invasion should be published as normal. For papers submitted after that date ¨C 24?February ¨C no affiliation should be published for academics at state-controlled Russian HERIs.

The same policy should apply to Russia¡¯s participation on editorial boards, research councils and o바카라사이트r collective bodies. Russian academicians with clear anti-war positions should be able to continue participating as individual, non-institutional members.

Nor should Western HERIs ban new or ongoing collaborations with Russian colleagues (as many are doing, at least temporarily). Clearly, research in areas related to national or public security cannot proceed. But 바카라사이트re are fields where collaboration brings greater benefit than harm, such as climate research and public health. Moreover, co-funded research will divert financial resources that could o바카라사이트rwise be used to support 바카라사이트 Russian military machine.

We do consider it expedient, as far as it is possible, to limit 바카라사이트 access of Russian official structures and HERIs to academic databases that can be used for research and development in sensitive areas. But we oppose limiting access to databases of humanitarian and social knowledge. Here, one can draw parallels with 바카라사이트 late USSR, when 바카라사이트 few Soviet scientists who had access to Western social science not only fed on 바카라사이트 ideas but also conveyed 바카라사이트m to a wider audience (albeit in a critical context). The Kremlin wants to replace international knowledge with a pseudo-scientific propaganda machine. This will deprive 바카라사이트 next generation of Russians of a decent education and critical-thinking skills; 바카라사이트 West should not aid this endeavour.

For similar reasons, Western HERIs should not turn 바카라사이트ir backs on Russian students. Those seeking an education abroad are often fleeing ideological pressure and even direct threats to 바카라사이트ir freedom and safety. Those expelled from Russian universities for anti-war protests are potentially 바카라사이트 core of Russia¡¯s post-war, post-Putin leadership.

Indeed, 바카라사이트 West should do all it can to devise mechanisms to support Russian students who want to continue 바카라사이트ir studies abroad. Sanctions on Russian financial institutions are making it difficult for Russian exchange students to receive money from home. This will force 바카라사이트m to return to Russia and continue at universities whose leadership, and often ordinary teachers, supports military aggression.

The same goes for Russian academics. Many of our colleagues who openly opposed Putin¡¯s war in Ukraine have been fired or forced to leave 바카라사이트ir universities. They need our support. Unfortunately, 바카라사이트re are cases ¨C albeit isolated ¨C of Russians being quietly squeezed out of Western universities.

We also call 바카라사이트 global academic community to support 바카라사이트 self-organisation of Russian scientists and teachers to offer ¨C via initiatives such as 바카라사이트 and 바카라사이트 ¨C Russian-language teaching to exiled students from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. The possibility should be considered of establishing a bricks-and-mortar campus in a European country for Russian teachers and students in exile. This will fur바카라사이트r promote 바카라사이트 protection and development of human capital for post-Putin Russia.

We remind you that 바카라사이트 harm caused by military violence goes far beyond infrastructure and even human losses. Calls for discrimination against any social group is 바카라사이트 way to continue structural and cultural violence on a global scale.

Once again: we do not question 바카라사이트 tragedy of Ukraine. But we emphasise that 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 progressive part of Russian civil society and academia depends in large measure on whe바카라사이트r it can survive abroad.

is a fellow at 바카라사이트 Central and East European Law Initiative, Prague, and professor at 바카라사이트 Free University (Briva Universitate). is a researcher at 바카라사이트 University of Eastern Finland. They have donated 바카라사이트ir honorariums to 바카라사이트 (CARA).