The European University did not reach an agreement with the Americanist

The European University (EU) in St. Petersburg, after nine years of joint work, terminated its cooperation with American historian Ivan Kurilla for absenteeism, which resulted from his “uncoordinated departure” to the United States. He himself commented on the EU’s decision by saying that his departure would help “the university survive.” A few months earlier, an inspection “for extremism” took place there, as a result of which the university was fined for storing books published by “undesirable organizations.” Kommersant-SPb’s interlocutors at the EU say that the university is expecting a number of dismissals or reshuffles just after the prosecutor’s office visited them.

According to the official version, the parties could not agree on paid leave, since Mr. Kurilla went to the United States for a professorial position. Agreement could not be reached on the issue of compensation upon termination of the employment contract, since the university considered the financial demands of the teacher to be excessive. The American historian himself, Doctor of Historical Sciences and professor of the Faculty of Political Science at the European University in St. Petersburg, Ivan Kurilla, wrote on his Facebook page (belongs to Meta – an organization recognized as extremist and banned in Russia) that he does not know whether the decision to fire him is “reinsurance.” ” of the university rector Vadim Volkov or “demands on him from the outside.”

The EU called this step “forced”, since due to leaving for the United States in January of this year, the teacher had absenteeism. “As a result, the EU was forced to dismiss Ivan Ivanovich Kurilla for absenteeism resulting from his unapproved departure,” the university told Kommersant-SPb.

The EU explained that Ivan Kurilla asked for paid sabbatical leave in order to write a scientific work. Back in November 2022, the university’s personnel committee (PPC) approved the professor’s request. However, in December last year it turned out that during the sabbatical period the historian planned to work in the United States as a professor. In this regard, the CPT suggested that Mr. Kurilla refuse a paid sabbatical leave or a paid position in the United States. The EU clarified that the teacher stated that he did not intend to refuse to work in the United States, after which the committee withdrew its decision. “The CPT has withdrawn the decision on sabbatical leave. I.I. Kurilla was informed about this on December 29, 2023, but nevertheless left the country on January 12, 2024,” says the EU’s response.

In addition, the educational institution said that the parties discussed possible forms of termination of the employment contract on the terms of compensation, but came to nothing, since the university considered Ivan Kurilla’s financial demands to be excessive. The Americanist himself confirmed that no agreement was reached between them, but expressed hope that his dismissal “will help the European University survive.” Mr. Kurilla did not respond to Kommersant-SPb’s request to comment on the situation at the time of publication.

Ivan Kurilla worked as a professor at EU for nine years. In 2022, he signed an open letter from scientists and journalists against the SVO. When asked by Kommersant-SPb whether the situation with the dismissal of the teacher was political, the university responded that “there is no politicization associated with the anti-war position.” However, they added, combining work in the United States with holding a position in the EU “in the current conditions inevitably contains a political element.”

According to Kommersant-SPb interlocutors associated with the EU, after an inspection by the prosecutor’s office in May of this year and a trial in December 2023, several dismissals or reshuffles are coming at the university. We are talking about four teachers, but the interlocutors could not clarify whether Mr. Kurilla was among them. Negotiations about the future work of the EU were led by the founder and member of the board of trustees, ex-head of the Ministry of Finance and the Accounts Chamber, Alexei Kudrin, one of the sources told Kommersant-SPb. He added that these teachers would probably simply be “removed from prominent positions or moved to other positions.”

At the end of December 2023, a court in St. Petersburg fined EUSPb 70 thousand rubles under the article on participation in the activities of an “undesirable organization” (Article 20.33 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation). The reason for the fine was books found during a check in the university library, published with the support of the Soros Foundation and the Kennan Institute of the Woodrow Wilson Center. These structures are included in the list of organizations whose activities are prohibited in Russia. At the same time, the university did not agree with the investigators’ arguments and argued that the books were in a special closed fund and were not handed out.

The books were found in the EU during an unscheduled inspection of the library collection, caused by a complaint from an unknown citizen. Security forces also confiscated master’s degree theses, graduate students’ dissertation topics, and other documents related to the educational process to check “for extremism.” Then the network discussed the possibility of re-revoking the license for politically motivated articles after inspections.

In 2007, the EU was criticized by State Duma deputies from United Russia because of a program to train election observers. Parliamentarians saw in it “direct foreign interference” and a violation of licensed activities by the educational institution. In 2016, Rosobrnadzor suspended the state accreditation of the university, which allows it to issue diplomas in the format established by the Ministry of Education and Science. Then State Duma deputy Vitaly Milonov complained about the university, disseminating deliberately false information about the absence of a first-aid post in the institution and about the issuance of scholarships in foreign currency. EU employees believed that this was done so that the prosecutor’s office could involve almost all control and supervisory authorities for an unscheduled inspection. As a result of its inspection, the university identified 120 violations, but the university disputed them.

In the same year, another inspection took place there. Based on its results, in 2017, Rosobrnadzor announced the suspension of the university’s license, prohibiting EU from engaging in educational activities. Students returned to the university only in October 2018. Unofficially, the leadership of the educational institution connected these events with politics.

Andrey Kucherov, Polina Puchkova