Dear colleagues, the leadership of Ukraine’s National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance (NAQA) has prepared the following appeal to Ministers of Education and E4 organizations of the European Higher Education Area. We would be grateful if you could ensure that this letter reaches its addressees.
To: Ministers responsible for education of European Higher Education Area states
European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education
European Students’ Union
European University Association
European Association of Institutions in Higher Education
Call to respond to Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine
Dear Ministers and E4 Group organizations,
On February 24, 2022, Russia began a massive military invasion against Ukraine. This act of aggression is not only a blatant violation of international law; it is a serious threat to the security of the whole European region and worldwide.
There is no justification, either legal or moral, for the ongoing Russian aggression against the sovereign Ukrainian state. The Russian Federation must be held responsible for its unlawful conduct. Full and comprehensive isolation of Russia from all spheres should be a part of the world’s response.
With this letter, we call on you to suspend Russia’s participation in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and terminate all cooperation with Russia, including in the educational sphere.
The EHEA was established as a project aimed at integration and promotion of peaceful cooperation between states sharing certain core values. As underlined in the Rome Communique (2020), these values include democracy and rule of law. It is now self-evident that Russia by no means lives up to these standards.
While the higher education system may not be central to Russia’s effort to undermine the Ukrainian state, it nonetheless forms a part of its state machinery. It contributes to Russian military technology and preparation of personnel who serve in the Russian army. It also propagates the perverted interpretation of history promoted by the Russian government to justify their military’s unlawful acts of aggression.
With this letter, we urge you to respond to Russian aggression resolutely and swiftly. In particular,we ask you to undertake the following steps:
to stop all cooperation with Russia’s higher education and scientific institutions, and associations thereof;
to suspend Russia’s participation in the European Higher Education Area;
to suspend membership of Russia’s institutions in the EUA and the EURASHE.
We ask you to express your solidarity with Ukrainian people and Ukrainian academic community in these times.