At present we can observe an attack against the remnants
of independence of the Russian university education.
Sergei Baburin, Rector of RGTEU, was dismissed from his post
by the order of the Ministry of Education on December 24.
This decision is an act of political violence by the Ministry
of Education against the rector, who demanded from the Ministry
to explain why and under what criteria his university had
been listed as "inefficient" and had had to be merged
with another university.
I believe that the dismissal of Sergei Baburin, Rector of
RGTEU, is unlawful and only aggravates the situation around
the merger of universities.
It is surprising that federal television channels are employed
in the fight against the students and the former rector RGTEU.
The pieces of news broadcasted by TV diminish the role and
significance of Sergei Baburin as an academic.
Taking into account the repressive tactics employed by the
Ministry in its negotiations with the leadership of RGTEU,
the students taking part in the strike fear that they will
be expelled from the university under various pretexts.
Obviously, the team of the RGTEU professors will not be preserved.
Most of the university staff will be dismissed after the merger.
RGTEU will completely lose its independence, as evidenced
by the dismissal of Sergei Nikolayevich Baburin.
Despite the protests of thousands of students and objections
of internationally renowned professors, the example of the
RGTEU demonstrates us how mergers of universities [announced
by the Ministry] will be held.
I demand that the Ministry of Education and Science of the
Russian Federation must restore the labour rights of Sergei
Baburin, RGTEU rector, and eliminate the possibility of reprisals
against the protesting students and professors.
I am calling the Ministry of Education to change their approach
and stop the destruction of Russian universities. If some
of these institutions are inefficient, they need help: they
should be strengthened with academic staff, the number of
budget places for students and professors’ salaries should
be increased.
Efficiency has never been achieved by consolidation and mergers.
If the Ministry of Education is of a different opinion, this
means that it the Ministry which is inefficient and not universities.
Sergei Mitrokhin,
YABLOKO Chairman
See also:
Human
Rights
Reform
in Education
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