New Details About the Situation in EHU
The situation with EHU is aggravating. Ministry of Education has not still answered the University’s call. The students and administration reaction about different variants of the events development. A EHU’s student Ałaksandar Fando answers the questions of the studenty.by editorial team.
Which answer from the Ministry of Education is awaited by students on Tuesday?
We expect the problem resolving, we cherish the permission for EHU’s educational activities as a private University. All the documents for the license continuation were submitted before April, 30 and on May, 5 Ministry of Education was to answer.
What will happen if the license is not continued?
In this case there are some variants of the development of the situation.
Most probably, EHU Faculties will be reshaped within different state institutions. E.g. my Faculty – of Political Science and European Integration Problems – will be attached to the International Relations Department of Belarusian State University. But this is the best of possible results. We are to take extra exams, because EHU is a non-governmental University. One should study some new subjects and pass advance exams.
There are also rumors that there shall be opportunity to continue studies at some European Universities. At least, students are hoping so greatly. All the EHU students are fluent in minimum one foreign language. To reshape 900 Belarusian students in different European Universities is not such a difficult problem.
Just some time ago Radzkou, Minister of Education, has asked Michajlau, Rector of EHU, to resign from his office…
The point is that on May 25 our Rector got an anniversary – 65 years, after which he has to leave. So the situation can be resolved on its own. It’s possible that Ministry of Education will be waiting till this date.
Do you intend to struggle for your University and in what way?
We have got a Law Faculty where the scholars from different countries are working. They are scheduling the respective papers with the call to debate the EHU issue in courts, Ministry of Education and other higher structures. Because from the legal point of view we have got the right to work. The EHU staff includes almost 50 professors; half of them are working exclusively in EHU. And it is weird to stop the University functioning without any legal reasoning.
The EHU administration is very persistent in calling us not to start protesting or manifesting in the streets. Because the main problem now is the absence of information on these issues. We do not know what is discussing at the Education Ministry and what kind of result we are to get. We are just waiting for Thursday. And then we will decide what further steps to take.
Why do you think Belarusian authorities do not welcome your University activities?
We have always been representing an alternative education system, but have always functioned in accordance with a rule of law. I suppose, the factor of EHU’s being a private educational establishment is also influences the intention to abolish us. EHU is considered to be a liberal institution, and there are a lot of points where our positions are different from those of official ones. I am almost 100% sure that the EHU’ abolishment is connected with the ideology work in Belarusian institutions of higher education. To influence EHU through ideologization is difficult, so the authorities seek other methods.
Translation from Belarusian by Uładzisłau Bełavusau