The ASEEES Executive Committee has sent the letter of of support to Rector Oleg Kharkhordin

 
07.04.2017
 
University
 
Press release

The ASEEES Executive Committee has sent the following letter of of support to Rector Oleg Kharkhordin:

Dear Rector Kharkhordin,

On behalf of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies, we write to express our steadfast support for the European University at St. Petersburg.

The European University is undoubtedly one of the premier academic institutions in Russia and boasts a global reputation for its excellence in teaching and research. Faculty at your university have a stellar reputation for their scholarship, publishing in peer-reviewed journals and with leading publishers in Russia and abroad. They have made major contributions to scholarship, particularly in the humanities and social sciences, and represent Russia’s best with their innovative research.

The European University has also made a significant contribution to training generations of Russian students, many of whom have gone on to leading positions in various sectors in Russia and across the world. The EUSP’s IMARES program has resulted in many non-Russian students developing deep interest and respect for Russian history and culture. Our Association’s three-thousand members hold the European University in the highest esteem and consider it a vital partner.

We trust that the Russian courts will recognize European University’s global stature and significance to Russian education and permanently reverse the decision to revoke its license. The continued dispute over the European University's license is a blemish on Russian higher education, which only diminishes its standing in the international academic community.

Yours sincerely,

Anna Grzymała-Busse, President, ASEEES
Michelle and Kevin Douglas Professor of International Studies, Stanford University

Julie Cassiday, Vice President, ASEEES
Professor of Russian, Williams College

Padraic Kenney, Immediate Past President, ASEEES
Professor of History and International Studies, Indiana University

ASEEES Executive Committee:
Susan Linz, Professor of Economics, Michigan State University
Harriet Murav, Professor of Literature, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Eric Naiman, Professor of Literature, UC Berkeley
Lynda Park, Executive Director, ASEEES

Original letter (pdf)