The Saint Petersburg Association of Sociologists (SPAS) is concerned about the pressure put by authorities on the European University at Saint Petersburg.
This university is crucial to the development of sociology in St. Petersburg, providing academically oriented world-class graduate and postgraduate programs. Lecturers and students of the university are actively involved in numerous research projects laying down the future of the social sciences, not only in our city, but also in Russia as a whole.
Along with other academic centers of the city, the European University at St. Petersburg is a leading academic platform- it constantly organizes conferences and seminars, invites well-known researchers from various countries and contributes to the international exchange of ideas.
SPAS fully supports the university management's plans to reconstruct the historical building of the Kushelev-Bezborodko palace and to create there a modern educational and academic space, which would be in harmony with the historical halls preserved from the 19th century. As a result, there will emerge a modern campus with an up to date library and public spaces, which can be used as a citywide platform for academic and cultural communication. We should emphasize that the university is not asking a penny from the budget, raising only private investments for these plans.
SPAS is perplexed by the fact that instead of supporting a university of such a high academic level, St. Petersburg city authorities are demonstrating their intention to interfere with its work. We, the representatives of the professional community of St. Petersburg sociologists, call upon the governor of St. Petersburg Georgy Poltavchenko to reconsider the decision of the Committee for Property Relations concerning the unilateral termination of the lease agreement for the building at 3A, Gagarinskaia Street which the European University has occupied since 1995, rented for 49 years and intendeds to restore and reconstruct in the next two years.
The European University at St. Petersburg is significant not only for the city but also for the Russian sociological community. We call upon the local authorities not to succumb to pressure from the federal government agencies, and not to join the general campaign, but rather to give an opportunity to develop a unique university in St. Petersburg.
SPAS Board
Original text in Russian here.
We would like to extend our gratitude towards the St. Petersburg Association of Sociologists.