ASEEES Supports European University at St Petersburg

Published April 4, 2017

The Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies expresses its steadfast support for the European University at St. Petersburg as it faces a critical moment in an ongoing dispute over its license. We wrote last December about this matter. In March the Russian court decided to suspend the university’s license, but the appeals court has ruled that further examination of the case was necessary. The next court review is scheduled for April. The University's license remains valid for now. You can read the latest news and other support letters on the EUSP website.

If you are interested in expressing your support, please send your letter to the Rector of EUSP at: rectors_office@eu.spb.ru and sign the petition (note: the petition is not organized by ASEEES). 

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

4 April 2017

Rector Oleg Kharkhordin
European University at St. Petersburg
Gagarinskaya ul., 3а,
Sankt-Peterburg, 191187
Russia

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