University Graduate to Pay 22 Million

Kseniya Avimava, a free-lance correspondent of a non-governmental economic weekly “Belarusians and Market”, is to disburse 22 million roubles for her refusal to honor the post-study working assignment and work for two years at Valozhyn state regional newspaper “Pracounaja Slava” (“Working Glory”). The graduate got to know about that in late October from the official letter signed by Belarusian State University rector Vasil Strazhau. According to Kseniya Avimava, she did not arrive in Valozhyn because by the moment of assignment she had already been working full-time at “Belarusians and Market”.

Moreover, as the young journalist told the correspondent of “Salidarnasts”, after the assignment to the regional newspaper she was forced to leave “Belarusians and Market”.

As early as in March 2007, well before the preliminary stage of assignment, the management of the non-governmental weekly directed a letter of inquiry to the BSU Faculty of Journalism asking to assign Ms. Avimava to the newspaper “Belarusians and Market”. However, a committee headed by the Minister of Information Uladzimir Rusakevich rejected the claim.

Now Ksenija Avimava, whose educational expenses were covered by the government, must either pay back a sum of about 10300 US dollars to her former university or head for the destination of her assignment.

In an interview given to the BAJ press-service Aliaksandar Hradziushka, the rector of the Academy of Journalism attached to the Belarusian Journalist Union (BJU), fully endorsed the necessity of payback in case a student refuses to honor the assignment.

“60% of students are currently paying for their education. These people do have a right to choose and no one attempts to assign them. However, such is the law – if a student graduates from the faculty of journalism and does not want to work at the place of his assignment, for example, in Chernobyl region, one can pay off the money for his education and be free after that. If a graduate is assigned and does not arrive at the place, one is searched for and the court orders a pay-off,” – says Mr. Hradziushka.

It should be noted that this very month Kseniya Avimava became the victor of an international blogger contest “The Best of Blogs 2007”. Her blog (ak_bara "Photagrafamanstva”) was announced to be the best among 150 contenders.