Risky Academic Ties: The Consequences of University Bans in Russia

This month, Yale University was classified as an “undesirable” organization in Russia, placing its faculty, administration, and students at immediate risk of criminal prosecution. Just a month prior, Brigham Young University faced a similar fate.

Both institutions are part of a limited yet expanding group of universities banned from operating in Russia since 2021, beginning with Bard College, which was the first to receive this designation.

Russian academics had already faced threats for voicing dissent against the Kremlin or collaborating with foreign researchers. The situation worsened as foreign researchers linked to these “undesirable” universities now risk legal repercussions for their work in Russia.

Since the enactment of the “undesirables” law in 2015, numerous universities, NGOs, think tanks, foundations, and media outlets that have highlighted or criticized the deteriorating human rights situation in Russia and the war in Ukraine have been labeled as such.

The penalties for founding or leading an undesirable organization can include up to six years in prison. Further involvement with a banned group’s activities, even simply sharing its content online, can result in fines and sentences reaching four years.

While the law’s enforcement is not typically retroactive, experts argue it creates a climate of fear, leading individuals to believe that any interaction with someone from a banned organization could be illegal.

“The intent of the law is intimidation, and its ambiguity is intentional,” remarked Daniel Treisman, a political scientist at UCLA, in conversation with The Moscow Times. “It makes Russians anxious about any connections they might have with Westerners or Western concepts. If you link to a study from a Yale scholar, you might be facing a five-year prison sentence. It fits into Putin’s increasingly intricate system of intimidation.”

The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office charged Yale with training opposition leaders, including members of Alexei Navalny’s organizations, and providing grounds for international sanctions against Russia.

Brigham Young University, affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was banned in June without any stated justification. Similarly, Bard College had received no explanation for its own ban.

Faculty members have proposed several theories regarding Bard’s designation. One hypothesis is that the college was targeted due to its ties with billionaire philanthropist George Soros and his liberal Open Society Foundation, which has been labeled “undesirable” since 2015. The Kremlin perceives Soros and his organizations as a threat to national security.

Following Bard’s announcement of a $500 million donation from Soros, pro-Kremlin activists held a press conference where conservative figures warned against Soros’ alleged influence in Russian education. Bard believes the Kremlin views academic freedom itself as menacing, irrespective of the funding source.

Dr. Leon Botstein, president of Bard College, stated that the liberal arts education promoted through this partnership was regarded as a threat.

“From Russia’s perspective, the Anglo-American education model and the freedoms it fosters are seen as linked to the potential for innovation. However, scholarship and education are not autocratic endeavors; they inherently advocate for freedom, debate, and dissent,” he told The Moscow Times.

Prior to Bard’s ban, its dual-degree program with Smolny College at St. Petersburg State University aimed to introduce liberal arts education in Russia, engaging hundreds of American and Russian students.

As the Smolny program gained traction, and its leadership became closer to the Kremlin, Bard considered detaching Smolny from the main university to maintain its autonomy.

“Then, almost overnight and without any warning, we were subjected to an FSB investigation, and nobody understood why,” Botstein recounted. “We sought assistance from American authorities under President Joe Biden, but they couldn’t make any headway. Before we knew it, we were labeled undesirable.”

Consequences were swift. Michael Freese, an American professor at SPGU who facilitated the exchange with Bard, was detained on his way to work and expelled from Russia due to his association with the college.

Another participant in the Bard-Smolny program, artist Sasha Skochilenko, was imprisoned for replacing supermarket price tags with information about the Ukraine invasion, only to be released in a notable Russia-U.S. prisoner exchange last summer.

She noted that the program granted students a degree of intellectual freedom rarely available in Russian universities, which may explain its targeting.

“It wasn’t a conventional institution, like other places in Russia, because it endorsed pure freedom,” Skochilenko informed The Moscow Times. “There was no hierarchy between students and professors. We freely discussed topics now considered criminal, such as Putin and his policies, and it was fantastic.”

She also credited her liberal arts education with helping her during her two-year imprisonment, where there were worries about her health.

“The sociology program equipped me with knowledge about people, society, prisons, and institutions,” she said. “I transformed my time in prison into a remarkable performance and gained recognition within the community. Those in jails value good storytellers, and I could assist others in penning heartfelt letters to their families.”

Bard attempted to contest its «undesirable» status but received no reply. It now operates the Smolny Beyond Borders program from its Berlin branch, offering an online degree aimed at Russian-speaking students in the diaspora.

Brigham Young University, which has suspended its study abroad program to Russia since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, is reportedly contemplating efforts to reverse its own designation as well.

Bard still employs some staff who are Russian citizens and advises them against traveling to the country. It also continues to accept applicants from Russia, though very few apply.

“We evaluate students based on their qualifications,” Botstein explained. “We don’t specifically inquire about a student’s nationality or family background. There’s a special law protecting student information.”

Brigham Young and Yale Universities have not responded to inquiries from The Moscow Times about how they are supporting their Russian students and faculty.

The conflict in Ukraine has further restricted access for academics in Russia, even for those universities that haven’t been banned. Many U.S. scholars, including two from Yale, have been prohibited from entering the country.

Researching state archives has also become increasingly daunting since the war began. The Bridge Network, which connects foreign researchers with local contacts to gather archival materials, reports that access requests related to security services and foreign policy are often denied.

They also caution that requests submitted to archives might be redirected to the Foreign Ministry or the Federal Archival Agency, resulting in extended bureaucratic delays.

Russian scholars have also faced repercussions for collaborating with foreign researchers. In 2023, aerospace scientist Valery Golubkin was convicted of treason and sentenced to 12 years in prison for sharing sensitive research with a partner in Belgium, with the supposedly confidential information reportedly available publicly.

Botstein encouraged Yale, Brigham Young, and any other educational institutions targeted by the Kremlin to consider the long-term implications.

“Russia is a significant place, culture, and partner for us,” he remarked. “There will come a day after Putin, and the loyalty demonstrated by our Russian colleagues and citizens is profoundly rewarding. We believe we made a genuine impact, and we are willing to do it again.”