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EHU Chronicles

August 23, 2004 The Administrative Court of Minsk dismissed the suit of the European Humanities University against the Belarusian Ministry of Education. The law suit was called upon to examine the lawfulness of the Ministry's order to annul EHU license for educational activities.

August 9, 2004 New EHU working group on public and international relations started its work on building up the new habitat of the new University - of the EHU in Exile.

August 5, 2004 Around 300 students and faculty members of the European Humanities University took part in the meeting under the slogan "EHU Will Stay Alive!" This action was opened with the statement that the EHU would continue its activities as a "University in Exile".

August 2, 2004 EHU students performed a flash mob in the main open space of Minsk. Over 100 students spent 15 minutes on Oktiabrskaya Square while sitting and reading the textbooks they had brought with them. Afterwards, the riot squad detained 4 participants of this action.

July 30, 2004 The EHU Academic Council (Senate) decided to bring legal action against the lawless termination of the lease on the academic building and annulment of the license for educational activities. The Senate reached agreement that EHU should continue its work, though in a new format.

July 30, 2004 The European Commission forwarded its statement on the situation in Belarus, urging the Belarusian authorities to reconsider their position toward EHU and create favorable conditions for the University to resume its operation.

July 28, 2004 The front steps of the EHU academic building became the venue for the students' protest action and the press-conference of the University deans. It was the EHU's first public action after the half a year of the off-stage struggle for its existence.

July 27, 2004 Belarusian Minister of Education A.Radkov signed executive order #838 on annulment of the special permission (license) for educational activities of the private educational institution "European Humanities University".

July 27, 2004 The EHU Department of Theology took the decision to relocate in the Belarusian State University.

July 27, 2004, Washington, D.C. The EHU leadership met with presidents of the foundations, providing support to higher education programs and serving as EHU's donors. The participants of the meeting declared their intention to uphold the European Humanities University in the future, placing priority on the socially disadvantaged students.

July 26, 2004 The special session of the Board of the Ministry of Education resulted in the decision to recall the EHU's license for educational activities. The Board's membership was not announced.

July 23, 2004 The licensing commission of the Education Quality Control Department at the Ministry of Education visited the European Humanities University with regard to the dissolved contract of tenancy.

July 23, 2004 The EHU's graduation ceremony took place in the Hall of the Veterans' House in Minsk. This year's graduates proved to be real veterans of the struggle for their right to study at the European Humanities University.

July 21, 2004 Exactly 6 months after the first demand of the Rector's resignation, European Humanities University received an official letter from one of the departments of the Presidential Administration of Belarus, which notified the university on the termination of the rent of the academic building (Minsk, P. Brovki St., 3/2). The authorities requested EHU to vacate the building in two weeks, by 5 August 2004. The demand was motivated by the need to provide additional office space for several governmental agencies. According to the preliminary plan, the building was to be passed to the State Control Committee and Ministry of Forestry. EHU lawyers affirmed this demand to be unlawful.

July 20, 2004 The EHU Academic Council (Senate) reiterated the support by university faculty, staff and the students to Prof. Mikhailov and asked him to remain in his position of the EHU Rector.

July 19, 2004 Minister of Education A. Radkov sent an ultimatum to the EHU demanding the immediate resignation of Prof. Anatoly Mikhailov. In parallel, various signals were sent to the EHU to back this demand with a threat for the EHU to face consequences. The ultimatum put an unexpected end to the negotiations of the EHU administration and officials of the Ministry of Education, which was encouraged by Metropolitan Philaret and was to bring out certain guarantees for EHU's further existence and terms of functioning in case Prof. A. Mikhailov resigned from the Rector's position.

June 14, 2004 Mr. Valery Ovsiannikov, Director of the Education Quality Control Department at the Ministry of Education, was interviewed by Interfax Agency with regard to the envisaged results of the EHU attestation. As Mr. Ovsiannikov stated, "at present time EHU does not comply with the university status on a number of requirements". In his opinion, "EHU had been given great advances; it was expected to become a unique educational establishment. But unfortunately those hopes were never to come true". Further, Mr. Ovsiannikov said that "Ministry of Education understands that EHU management is going to appeal to the European Union; the Ministry understands however that there are no other means of influencing the situation in EHU".

June 11, 2004 Preliminary results of the attestation examination were announced during the closing meeting of the EHU attestation commission, where EHU faculty members and administration were present. All experts arrived at the conclusion that all EHU departments worked according to the standards, qualifying their type of activity. Many experts emphasized the high level of teaching and spoke favorably of the innovative curricula and syllabi. Nevertheless, the concluding remarks of Mr. V. Samusevich, head of the attestation commission, contained his intention to dissuade the Department's administration from attesting the European Humanities University in the current year and suggest its re-attestation in the year 2005. Mr. Samusevich considered EHU did not pass the University standards since it did not dispose of its own recreation center, dormitories and doctoral programs. The last but not the least reason was that EHU should have limited its experimental programs and cooperation with foreign institutions of higher learning.

May 25 - June 11, 2004 EHU was undergoing the attestation procedure, carried out by the specially gathered commission under guidance of Mr. Vladimir Samusevich, Head of the Quality Control Department for specialized secondary, higher and postdoctoral education. The whole procedure of attestation involved 56 experts, 28 of them were invited to check the work of deans' offices, chairs and other EHU departments.

May 7, 2004 EHU received an official confirmation that on April 30, 2004 the additional session of the Board of the Ministry of Education took place, where it was decided to grant the license for educational activity for the period of 5 years to the private educational institution "European Humanities University".

May 6, 2004 The EHU administration passed the order to stop reception of payments on educational contracts and delivery of classes within the programs of higher education due to absence at the stated time and until obtaining of any official reply from the Ministry of Education concerning the EHU's license for educational activity. It was also decided to work out a schedule of students' consultations to be held during the period of suspension of their studies.

May 5, 2004 EHU sent a notification letter to the Ministry of Education on suspending its educational activity. Copies of the letter were sent to the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus and State Control Committee.

May 3, 2004 EHU suspended its financial and educational activities due to absence of any official information on the decision made concerning its license. With regard to this issue, the EHU addressed by word of mouth to a number of officials in the Ministry of Education, but the latter evaded the question. The same day the EHU leadership turned to the Minister of Education Mr. A. Radkov with a letter, requesting his explanation of the EHU's further actions: whether it must suspend its educational activity due to absence of information about its license or continue working in the ordinary manner.

April 30, 2004 EHU was unofficially informed on the positive decision taken concerning its license.

April 29, 2004 The session of the Board of the Ministry of Education took place, where the resolution on licensing should have been taken.

April 26-27, 2004 The licensing commission was working in EHU.

March 30, 2004 EHU applied for re-licensing to the Licensing Office of the Education Quality Control Department. The package of the required documents was admitted for consideration.

March 19, 2004 Belarus President A. Lukashenko met with members of the National Council of Rectors, uniting all rectors in Belarus. EHU Rector was not invited to the meeting though. During the meeting, it was declared, that there are no state or non-state institutions of higher learning in Belarus.

February 9, 2004 Rector Prof. A. Mikhailov announced to the Minister of Education that, after consulting with the University faculty, foreign donors and partners, he decided to decline the Minister's proposal to resign. EHU students had organized collection of signatures, and over 700 students supported their Rector.

January 21, 2004 The Minister of Education, Alexander Radkov, made a viva-voce proposition to Prof. Anatoly Mikhailov to leave his position as EHU Rector.

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