The European Students’ Union has published the latest 2024 edition of the Report on the State of Belarusian Academia by the Belarusian Students’ Association (BSA). It provides an overview of the state of Belarusian academia in 2024. It highlights politically motivated repression towards students and faculty members, the increasing ideologisation and militarisation of education, mandatory job placement policies, and the challenges faced by Belarusian students abroad. Additionally, it offers key recommendations for higher education institutions, student unions, policymakers and other actors.
On September 5, 2023, Aljaksandr Lukashenka signed a decree restricting a range of services provided by Belarusian embassies and consulates abroad. According to the decree, Belarusian citizens living abroad can only apply for or renew their passports within Belarus. To this day, this decree continues to be in effect, imposing significant restrictions on Belarusians abroad in general and students in particular, especially affecting student mobility. The decree also creates obstacles to obtaining legal residency status in the host country, potentially exposing individuals to legal proceedings or deportation. Furthermore, the process of obtaining apostilles for educational documents for those wishing to continue their studies abroad became significantly more complicated. The Ministry of Education of Belarus introduced new bureaucratic barriers, making the procedure longer and less predictable. Supporting the Belarusian community of students and scholars by advocating for concrete measures to assist them in Belarus and abroad is urgent and should be a shared commitment among all EHEA countries.
It is important to note that BSA has been designated as an extremist entity in Belarus.