STATEMENT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE EUSP

 
29.03.2017
 
University
 
What is there with EUSP?

Statement of the Board of Trustees of the European University at St. Petersburg

March 29, 2017

The Board of Trustees of the European University at St. Petersburg stands unanimous and steadfast in its support for the University Rector, leadership, faculty and students. We welcome and support all reasonable, rational and constructive efforts to appeal and overturn the recent decision by Rosobrnadzor to annul the University license.

The University leadership and Trustees are working diligently through all official and direct channels to seek to void or reverse the annulment decision as soon as possible. We do not seek any escalation of the problems which EUSP now faces through aggressive or irresponsible acts by unauthorized parties.

In our view Rosobrnadzor’s decision is wrong, frivolous and without merit. Moreover, the specific reasons for annulment of the EUSP license are minor, technical and have already been fully remedied.

European University at St. Petersburg was founded in 1994 in St. Petersburg, Russia, with the support of then Mayor Sobchak, to create a world class institution of higher learning in the social sciences that would help provide the Russian Federation with a new generation of scholars and educators trained in the best Russian and European traditions. Since then EUSP has developed into one of the leading institutes of higher education and research in Russia. The University and its esteemed faculty have a highly-respected record of accomplishment, and have achieved academic recognition in Russia and internationally due to their advanced research and extensive publications across a wide range of socially useful disciplines.

We are pleased to note that EUSP enjoys the continued support of the Minister and Ministry of Education as well as many other leaders in the Regional and Federal Government. EUSP faculty and research centers work collaboratively and constructively with many other leading academic institutions in Russia.

EUSP and its faculty, staff, alumni and students are respected members of the community of St. Petersburg and Russia more generally. We are proud of the fact that EUSP and its faculty have contributed extensively and prominently to the Russian government’s objective to advance higher education and to bring leading Russian academic institutions into prominent ranked positions internationally. We also note with pride that we have already achieved these goals in some areas, and are determined to achieve them as well throughout our research programs and curriculum.

We believe the recent decision of Rosobrnadzor represents a threat not only to the orderly continuation of EUSP’s academic and research programs, but also represents more broadly a threat to the well-being of all leading academic institutions in Russia and the government’s own efforts to advance education, research and human capital in throughout the Russian Federation.