The state of academic freedom and its perception by Belarusian students in the universities of Belarus and Poland
Academic freedom is not only an important factor in the existence of a modern university but also in the development of democracy and the promotion of democratic values. These values are particularly important for our organization.
At present, it is crucial for us not to lose connection with the Belarusian academic community and to understand what is happening within it. To capture the reality, we conducted this study. Since many students have gone to study at Polish universities after 2020, we also decided to examine their experiences as part of the current context.
In this study, we rely on the definitions of academic freedom outlined in the 1997
UNESCO Recommendation Concerning the Status of Higher Education Teaching Personnel2 and in the documents of the Bologna Process3.
In the UNESCO Recommendation, academic freedom is understood as “the right of scholars, unrestricted by prescribed doctrine, to freedom of teaching and discussion, freedom to conduct research, share and publish their results, freedom to express their opinion about the institution or system in which they work, freedom from institutional censorship, and freedom to participate in professional or representative academic bodies.”
Within the framework of the Bologna Process, academic freedom is further defined as "the freedom of academic staff and students to engage in research, teaching, learning and communication within society and with society without interference or fear of repression" and as "a fundamental democratic right, which is partially based on the right to education and shares common elements with freedom of thought, opinion, and expression."
Given the uniqueness of the Belarusian educational context, in the study, we also considered the topics of the military and mandatory job placement as factors influencing the motivation and quality of the educational process.
We thank the Niezależne Zrzeszenie Studentów and Uniwersytet Warszawski, whose support made this study possible. The research was conducted with financial support from the European Students' Union and the Open Society Foundation as part of the small grants program on academic freedom. Part of the research on Belarusian students in Poland was made in collaboration with the Belarusian Independent Bologna Committee.
In our view, the following key conclusions can be drawn from the study:
Academic freedoms are virtually nonexistent in Belarusian universities. Between 2020 and the present, developments have emerged that undermine fundamental ethical academic principles, such as internships in regions affected by war—Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, and other territories occupied by Russia. Freedom of movement has been severely restricted, and young people are experiencing stress due to the risk of expulsion and being conscripted into the military. University autonomy is completely absent. Student organizations are generally inactive, do not represent student interests, and mostly focus on organizing events. As a result, they have become "sleeping institutions". The teaching staff composition in universities has been significantly altered.
However, despite the complexity of the context, the Belarusian academic space has not turned into a completely barren field. New projects and student organizations are emerging in universities, and Belarusian students maintain a critical view of reality along with a motivation for acquiring knowledge and personal development. Based on qualitative data, it can be suggested that some regional universities may offer slightly more freedom compared to those in Minsk: there are more student organizations that are more active, professors are more open to dialogue and critical communication, elective courses are more common, and administrative pressure is less.
The lack of academic freedom is largely related to the fact that, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, there was no demand for them. We remained in the paradigm of "get the diploma and go to the job market." This attitude towards higher education is part of a global trend. For most students, the university is seen either as a place to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary for career development and improving living conditions, or as a place they end up in by inertia after finishing school. In Belarus, the inertia model is more prevalent. Here, we are discussing the attitude towards the institution of higher education, not the actual academic freedom. However, this attitude largely determines the trajectory of academic freedom development within the university.
In the quantitative part of the study, we did not find a significant difference between Belarusian students in Belarus and those in Poland in most cases. The main distinction is that respondents from Poland significantly more often chose the option "don't know". Despite the well-developed institution of academic freedoms in Poland, Belarusian students are hardly involved in it and do not see much value in it. This may be a result of low integration of foreign students into the Polish education system and the lack of prior socialization into student life, which for locals begins in the final years of school, including participation in school representation bodies and preparation through special courses.
The lack of experience with organizations and representation among Belarusian students (and often other foreign students from post-Soviet countries) in Poland is an issue. Unlike local students, who gain experience in self-organization while still in school, foreign students frequently lack such opportunities. University student governments may not always be able to meet the needs of these students due to their low numbers, and therefore often cannot provide adequate support and a platform for self-expression.
