Scandal: How opposition activists expelled from universities

Professors of the Belarusian National technical University were forced to low grades to an opposition activist to expel him from university.

An activist of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Syarhei Kuryanovich has been expelled from the Belarusian National State Technical University. He was a first year student of instrument-making faculty of the BNTU. The young man entered the university with high scores (210 scores in the centralized testing), he was studying good, had no conflicts with professors and was allowed to pass exams without problems. He believes the only reason for his eviction was his activism, “European Belarus” website writes.

At the first exam of the winter examination period he was assigned “2” grade out of 10 for “Belarus’ National Economy”. Kuryanovich believes it is not an objective mark, as he had been prepared to the exam, knew the material and answered the questions rather good. When the young man tried to find a reason of the bias against him, the professor told: “You are an interesting person, there is much to discuss with you. Please come to repeating of the exam again, I would be happy to talk to you”. The same situation was at the second exam, in “Engineering Graphics”.

At two other exams, “History of Belarus” and “Economic theory”, Kuryanovich got “9” and “8”. After that one of professors came to him and said that pressure had been exerted on him by the head of the chair with a demand to give him a low grade. However he refused, and assigned objectively. Later that professor was left without a bonus.

At the last exam Syarhei Kuryanovich was given “2” again, and on the next day a decree about his dismissal for “academic failure” was already signed.

Kuryanovich has addressed the dean of the faculty, but his information was ignored.

The civil activist will not put up with his dismissal, he will demand rectification ofthe injustice. Kuryanovich is to file a petition to the prosecutor’s office.

We remind that absence of academic freedoms in Belarus is a fact. Under different pretexts students are expelled from universities fort participation in opposition rallies and in activities of pro-democratic organisations. But such details of the repressive process have become known for the first time.