“Free People in Unfree Conditions”

“Free People in Unfree Conditions”

Benjamin Nathans explores the phenomenon of academic dissidence in the USSR. Dmitry Dubrovsky   Photo: Andrei Sakharov had his own “stumbling block.” Photo by Re2000 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=106564383   The...
An Unceremonious Approach

An Unceremonious Approach

Universities as Tools of Power Irina Busygina   Photo: For university rectors, playing by the rules does not entail uncovering the “great big real world” for students, but rather reducing the world to a vulgar version of the patriotic narrative. Photo by Borja...
Student Placement vs. Academic Freedom

Student Placement vs. Academic Freedom

After 35 years, the planned economy system is returning to Russian higher education. Dmitry Dubrovsky   Photo: Under Stalin, failure to appear at your assigned place of work after graduation was considered truancy and was punishable under the criminal code. Photo...
From the Personal to the Global

From the Personal to the Global

Drivers and Consequences of Russia’s Academic Isolationism. Theodore P. Gerber   Photo: The isolation and destruction of Russian science has far-reaching adverse consequences for individual researchers, scholarly institutions, and global scientific communities....
Between Repression and Boycotts

Between Repression and Boycotts

What goals do sanctions against Russian academia actually achieve? Dmitry Dubrovsky   Photo: The boycott impacts a small and vulnerable stratum of Russian scientists, namely those who are most critical of Russia’s aggressive policies. Photo by 4C Band on...