This project seeks to deepen understanding and raise public and scholarly awareness of the limitations on academic freedom in Russia and other post-Soviet countries. Since its launch in 2019, the project has combined research, monitoring, dissemination, and networking activities aimed at highlighting and addressing threats to academic autonomy and the rights of scholars.

Research and Monitoring

The project investigates how academic freedom is perceived and experienced by university faculty, researchers, and students—particularly in regional universities across Russia. It also involves systematic monitoring of violations and shifts in the state of academic freedom in Russia and other countries of the post-Soviet region. This analysis is grounded in a broader understanding of changes in political, legal, and institutional contexts that affect the academic environment.

This monitoring is conducted in close partnership with Scholars at Risk (SAR), a U.S.-based international network of academic institutions dedicated to defending academic freedom and protecting scholars at risk around the world.

Dissemination and Outreach

A key element of the project is the public dissemination of findings and analysis through multiple platforms. This includes:

• A bilingual blog on academic freedom, Gaudeamus, published via the CISRus website and shared on Facebook, Twitter (X), and EurasiaNet.org
• The organization of thematic panels and discussions at major international academic forums, including the annual conventions of ASEEES (Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies), BASEES (British Association for Slavonic and East European Studies), and others

Networking and Dialogue

The project also supports international networking and professional exchange through the organization of regional conferences in Central Asia. These events continue the initiative of a “floating discussion platform” launched by CISRus, following successful conferences on academic freedom held in Tbilisi (2021) and Yerevan (2022). The upcoming conferences aim to further connect academic communities across the post-Soviet space, fostering open dialogue on the protection of scholarly rights and autonomy.

Project team

Photo by Nikita Nikitenko on Unsplash