Letter of Support for EUSP
The European University of St. Petersburg has a truly impressive track record. Within a few years of operations it has become an internationally renowned center of excellence for research and education in the social sciences and humanities. More and more EUSP research output is nowadays published in world leading academic journals, which is a major achievement given the high hurdles for publication in the most distinguished outlets. EUSP students show an excellent and internationally competitive performance.
The numerous conferences, workshops, and international lectures organized by EUSP have demonstrated its capability to bring together world leading researchers and to foster academic exchange of students and faculty on the highest international level. The EUSP international workshop series on “Natural Resources, Environment and Economic Growth” deserves special attention, because it covers a highly sensible research area for resource rich economies such as Russia. It is of great practical relevance because resource extraction and the use of resource revenues are central issues for the sustainability of future economic development.
I strongly support any effort to sustainably continue EUSP activities and to take opportunities for strengthening its position in the future. Any other political decision would do great harm to an academic area of crucial importance.
President of the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE)
Professor of Economics/Resource Economics at ETH Zurich