They’ve been dismissed as a “teenage rebellion”, but the protests that took place on 26 March suggest the country’s youth is slipping through the state’s fingers. (c) Xinhua/SIPA USA/PA Images. All rights reserved.Education is high on Russia’s political agenda right now. While teachers fight for pay and conditions, the European University at St Petersburg, one of Russia’s best independent universities, is currently fighting to retain its licence, and many state universities have been putting pressure on students who have taken part in the recent wave of anti-corruption protests.
I talked to Mikhail Sokolov, Professor of Political Science and Sociology at EUSPb, about the effectiveness of state propaganda, the contradictions in Russia’s education system and licensing that the university has encountered and whether demonstrations of support might increase its chances of retaining its status.
Tatyana: How come the European University at St Petersburg, which is always ranked highly in university league tables, is failing to satisfy Rosobnadzor, Russia’s education watchdog. What complaints are being levelled against it?
