Due to the ongoing aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine over the past couple of days, Masaryk University proceeded to terminate its agreements with Russian universities on Saturday, 26 February 2022.
This step includes the termination of the cooperation agreement with Yugra State University (signed 2009), the termination of the academic cooperation agreement with Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod (2008), and the termination of the student exchange agreements with Udmurt State University (2012) and the National Research University Higher School of Economics in St. Petersburg (2015).
The notice of immediate termination of MU’s agreements with these universities was sent to their rectors by e-mail today, and MU will also send the necessary notices by standard mail on Monday.
“It is absolutely unacceptable for us to cooperate in the area of international relations and education with institutions of a country that has repeatedly demonstrated disregard for the fundamental values of the civilised world. We are ready to discuss the resumption of our cooperation only when we are sure that the principles of democracy, freedom and mutual respect shared by European countries in the 21st century have finally prevailed in Russia,” wrote Mr Bareš in the letters sent to Russia.
Masaryk University is cutting off cooperation at the institutional level. The purpose of the termination is not to punish Russian students and academics, but to end any and all official ties with Russian institutions. Russian universities are state institutions and thus represent the government that ordered the invasion of Ukraine. Consequently, it was this act of aggression that has forced Masaryk University to terminate its agreements with them.
On Friday, 25 February, Rector Martin Bareš called in a video for tolerance toward Russian students studying at Masaryk University. “Even though we are emotional and angry right now, let us not turn this anger against Russian students and academics here at Masaryk University. They are just as much victims of the Russian regime as those who are now fighting in Ukraine.”