Australian National University cuts off relation with Russia
Australia's publicly financed university has severed connections with Russia, becoming the first institution in the Antipodes to do so in response to the conflict in Ukraine.
The invasion "threatens the peace, freedom, and democracy on which freedom of inquiry and academic collaboration is built," ANU's administration stated in a statement. As a result, all relationships and activities with Russian institutions have been suspended indefinitely and with immediate effect by the university.
"We stand in solidarity with those courageous Russian professors and students who stand up to President Putin's unwarranted attack," the statement said.
Sally Wheeler, ANU's deputy vice-chancellor for international strategy, underlined that the move did not exclude personal academic links. Professor Wheeler told Times Higher Education, "We're not talking about individuals...not publishing with Russian colleagues."
"We're talking about inter-institutional agreements that are often made in the spirit of collaboration around common ideals." That is simply not doable for us right now." ANU's decision aligns it with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which recently halted a ten-year collaboration to construct an industrial-academic development on Moscow's western outskirts.
Source
Times Higher Education
