Repressions in universities lead to “degradation of the academic sphere” in Belarus | Belarus: a view from Europe – special project DW | Dw
Mass dismissals of opponents of the authorities continue in Belarus. “Black lists” were also lowered to many universities. About 150 politically motivated dismissals of teachers and scientists in the country are now known.
Lists of “unreliable” teachers in universities
At least ten teachers will be dismissed from the philological faculty of the Belarusian State University (BSU) in the near future. DW spoke to two of them. For security reasons, they wished to remain anonymous.
According to the interlocutors, lists of “unreliable” employees were issued to the leadership of the faculty. According to the teachers, they were most likely drawn up in the KBG. In one – those with whom there is enough preventive conversation, the second – a list for dismissal. It includes teachers who enrolled in September 2020 video message against violence against peaceful protesters; and support for detained students. Also, most likely, faculty members who were brought to administrative responsibility for participating in the protests will be dismissed.
“There are three leading specialists from the Department of Foreign Literature. Employees are provided to write a letter of resignation by agreement of the parties. Those who refuse are threatened.
The first layoffs at the philological faculty took place immediately after the 2020 elections. Then, in defense of their colleagues, the teachers tried to write collective letters to the administration of the Ministry of Education, but this did not affect anything. The critical number of those ready to resign or declare a strike as a sign of solidarity did not accumulate.
Since 2020, about 150 teachers and researchers have been fired from BSU
After all, this is happening now in all industries. Back in the summer, the rumor that by the end of the year all politically active teachers are expected to be cleansed, Natalya Dulina, ex-associate professor of the Minsk State Linguistic University, member of the Coordination Council of the Belarusian opposition, comments. even if those are likely not to be reinstated.
“A similar situation last year. – I am a bad example, because everyone – doctors, workers, actors, and teachers – will react, I think everything will end faster. the university is fired, its subject should be taught by others, but colleagues have the right to lead from the additional load. “
Natalia Dulina
“Not everyone is open about their dismissal for security reasons. Of those who are public, Natalya Dulina (ex-associate professor of Moscow State Linguistic University), Viktor Shadursky (ex-dean of the Faculty of International Relations of the Belarusian State University), Alla Kozhinova (professor of the Belarusian State University with 200 scientific) publications), says the representative of the Honest University initiative, which unites activists – students and teachers of Belarusian universities, Oleg Davydchik. site, where we aggregate statistics on repression within the university. Since 2020, we know about 147 cases. These are stories verified by the Honest University team, but we understand that there are many more of them. “
According to the information that the initiatives have, in some universities (BSU, BSEU) there are 200-300 employees on the lists for dismissal. “K, the administrations of Belarusian universities, in the first place, try not to defend the system and ideals of their university, but to curry favor with the Ministry of Education and the KGB. Teachers who cannot be replaced are often fired,” said Davydchik.
Fired teachers risk “falling out of the profession” forever
“Those who see the connection between the development of society and science and education, who think that freedom of development, expression, culture is a value that links the academic sphere with the interests of civil society, with the development of the country,” said the professor of the European Humanitarian Society University, representative of Svetlana Tikhanovskaya on education and science Tatyana Shchitzova. According to her, the global trend is to increase the role of the university in the life of society, but in Belarus they fire just those teachers who can develop it.
The professor believes that support for fundamental science has never been among the priorities of the Lukashenka regime. In addition, for more than 20 years the country has been experiencing a crisis in the field of socio-humanitarian knowledge, which cannot develop due to the pressure of state ideology. “The current repressions against scientists and teachers lead to the degradation of the academic sphere, demoralization of the teaching staff of the institutes within the country,” says Tatiana Shchitzova.
According to her, teachers and scientists who were fired for political reasons risk “dropping out of the profession” forever. Of those who are forced to remain in the profession, with scientists engaged in physical, mathematical and natural sciences. “The situation when we realize the threat of exclusion of the Belarusian academic discourse from the global context requires a new focus in communication with our Western groups. Universities, the possibility of creating a center for Belarusian studies in Germany,” said Professor Shchitzova.
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