European University at St. Petersburg

1. European University at St. Petersburg

2. About EUSP • The European University at St. Petersburg (EUSP), private graduate college, MA and PhD in social sciences and humanities • Set up in 1994-95 with aid from the Mayor Anatolii Sobchak. Major donors – US foundations. • About 35 professors; 150 Russian and international students. Over 500 graduates; 104 defended PhDs • Number 87 in Top 100 European Political Science Departments (the only one from Russia) • Second in Russia to have registered an endowment European University at St. Petersburg

3. The crisis in brief • January 18 – Inspection by the Federal Fire Safety Service • January 21 – Inspection by the Federal Registration Service • February 4 – Spring semester starts • February 6 – Fire Safety Service submits report containing 52 violations to the Central district court • February 7 – The Court orders EUSP closed for 90 days • February 8 – Court bailiffs seal lecture rooms. Classes suspended • February 11-15 – EUSP improves fire safety, appeals to the court • February 18 – The court confirms its previous decision; EUSP remains shut • February 26 – The City Government Committee for Higher Education suspends EUSP license • March 17 – The Governor of St. Petersburg calls EUSP Rector to assure that the problem will be resolved soon • March 20 – the Federal Registration Service reports no violations • March 21 – The Court reopens EUSP; the license returned; bailiffs unseal the lecture rooms. EUSP was closed for 42 days (February 8 – March 21) European University at St. Petersburg

4. What drew attention of state authorities to EUSP Spring 2007 The European Union 683,000 Euro grant to set up an Inter-regional Electoral Network of Assistance (IRENA) at EUSP Project leader Professor Grigorii Golosov IRENA project included the training of observers, dissemination of legal and expert knowledge on elections; publication of manuals; electoral statistics http://www.irena.org.ru/ European University at St. Petersburg

5. Summer 2007. State authorities spot IRENA at EUSP and request an inspection by the office of the Prosecutor General. They suspect EUSP is going to monitor elections using EU grant Duma deputy G.Safaraliev: “EUSP is the case of EU interference in Russia’s domestic affairs” Proverka Prosecutor-General Yurii Tchaika August 2007 European University at St. Petersburg

6. October 26 EU-Russia Summit in Mafra, Portugal. Putin suggests to set up Russian NGOs to monitor elections and human rights in Europe in response to EU monitoring. His aid mentions EUSP and distorts facts. Sergey Yastrzhembsky We got your signal, Sir! European University at St. Petersburg

7. Federal Services – instruments of administrative coercion and extortion EUSP being sealed on February 8, 2008 Champions of corruption (business survey, 2006) • Militia (43%) • Local administrations (39%) • Fire safety service, Sanitary control service, Tax inspection (33%) Selective application of norms and laws European University at St. Petersburg

8. EUSP first reaction to inspections on 18 and 21 January Hope for an informal elite settlement • January 27 – Academic Council closes IRENA program and notifies the Administration of the President • Public rejection of political relevance of the incident • Members of the EUSP Board attempt to stop the attack • February 7 – The court shuts down EUSP and repeats its decision on February 18 From February 18 EUSP starts public campaign European University at St. Petersburg

9. Repertoire of counter actions • Framing, dissemination and opinion-making (media and the Internet) • Mobilization of the academic community • Petitions and letters to authorities • Street actions • Public events • Elite negotiations European University at St. Petersburg

10. Framing: The press conference and interviews Interpretations: • Fire safety is irrelevant • EUSP attacked because of its independent status and international ties • Someone wants a scandal on the eve of elections • Raiders want to expropriate the palace • Administrative abuse must be resisted Press conference on February 19 European University at St. Petersburg

11. Dissemination and opinion-making http://community.livejournal.com/save_eu/ http://euspb.blogspot.com/ Internet • Blogs • Internet TV (YouTube) • Banners • Popular web sites Printed media • Kommersant TV and Radio • Echo Moskvy • Local TV Channels • REN-TV, NTV Over 550 publications http://saveeu.blogspot.com/ http://ethnomet.livejournal.com/ European University at St. Petersburg

12. The Academic Community in Civic Action • Immediate response and offers of support • Mobilization through on-line petitions • http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/european-university-in-st-petersburg.html (3792 signatures) • http://www.ruthenia.ru/euspb/ (2298 signatures) • Letters from professional associations and groups (36 letters). • Open letter to Putin and Medvedev by 28 Members of the Academy of Science published in central newspapers • Individual statements by senior scholars European University at St. Petersburg

13. Students collected signatures in Petersburg cafés. Over 600 were sent to the Governor The weight of civil society European University at St. Petersburg

14. Street actions: creative resistance The laying of the fire hose to the monument of Lomonosov, the founder of the Russian science European University at St. Petersburg

15. Street actions: creative resistance The Street University in action Folk street theatre show about the closing of EUSP European University at St. Petersburg

16. Fear of street actions: the representative of city authority visits EUSP to calm down students Alexander Viktorov, the Chairman of the Committee for Higher Education in a dialogue with EUSP students and faculty European University at St. Petersburg

17. Public events: The week of EUSP in town Student meeting, press conference and photo exhibition in a rock club European University at St. Petersburg

18. Public events: Play by rules! Football match EUSP vs. Firemen School (2-3) European University at St. Petersburg

19. Public events: Public intellectuals and rock stars in support of EUSP European University at St. Petersburg

20. Rock and the Academia: DDT lead singer Yurii Shevtchuk adjusts microphone for Boris Firsov, the Founding Rector of EUSP European University at St. Petersburg

21. Behind the scene Friday, March 14 President-elect D. Medvedev receives A. Kudrin to discuss “urgent issues of governance”. Medvedev’s Office calls EUSP to request documents • Kudrin, • Minister of Finance, • Member of EUSP Board M. Piotrovsky, Chairman of EUSP Board European University at St. Petersburg

22. Monday, March 17, First signs of a positive outcome In 2-3 days the court will decide in favor of EUSP ! St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matvienko calls EUSP Rector Nikolai Vakhtin European University at St. Petersburg

23. Victory! March 21: The Court reopens EUSP, the bailiff removes the seals Bailiff Plitkin removes the seals and gets carnations from students European University at St. Petersburg

24. Lessons from the EUSP crisis • Private colleges, NGOs are vulnerable, foreign grants are monitored by the state • Civil society in Russia matters but exists only if mobilized • Internet and blogs are vital for coordinating sustained civic action • Mass media coverage adds value and scale • EUSP case became symbolic for Russian and international civic community, a hope for policy change • State authorities are sensitive, but high-ranking patronage is important for delivering the message European University at St. Petersburg

25. EUSP victory helped launch institutional change • Dmitrii Medvedev: “The suggestion is to deny controlling services entry to small and medium business enterprises and to allow them in only in case there is a special act of Procuracy or court” • New fire safety regulations are being designed. Sergei Shoigu, Minister of Emergency Situations: “Now there are 120 thousand compulsory fire safety regulations. The new law will reduce this number to 1200 – a 100 times less. We are going to introduce independent fire safety audit. We’ll create a supervision body with participation of the business community so that the state should withdraw from this sphere.” European University at St. Petersburg