Aliaksei Kryvalap: National University can’t be established from nothing

Belarus has been dreaming about the main university of the nation since 1991. But where should we look for its origins – in Vilnius of the 16th century or in partisan dugout of 1994?

What can one learn in Frankfort on the Oder and in Slubice, and why does campus need walls?

“EuroBelarus” continues discussion about the necessity of establishing the National Belarusan University. What should it look like? Who should be responsible for it – intellectual community or particular politicians? Will the university in exile be useful for our country or should we create it in Belarus?

Let us recall that more than fifty culture figures and bright civil society representatives put their signatures under the statement about the formation of the National University. This document broadly advertised by non-state media was very short, but the list of signatories was much longer: from Sviatlana Alexievich, a writer known worldwide and famous musicians Zmicier Vaitsiushkevich and Kasia Kamotskaja to the former Belarus’ leader Stanislau Shushkevich. The fact that it was Aliaksandr Milinkevich, the leader of the movement “For Freedom”, who initiated the idea and that the university is to open in Warsaw wasn’t mentioned in the statement.

However, the opinions about the need of the second Belarusan university in emigration were divided.  Whether Belarus needs another university abroad was discussed with Tatsiana Vadalazhskaja, the coordinator of the Flying University, candidate of sociological sciences, with Uladzimir Dunaeu, professor of philosophy, a former Vice Rector of the EHU, the member of the public Bologna committee, and with Sviatlana Matskevich, an expert of the Agency of Humanitarian Technologies, the candidate of pedagogical sciences.

His opinion on the issue shares once dismissed EHU teacher, candidate of culturology Aliaksei Kryvalap.

- Aliaksei, what do you know about the fresh project of the National University, and do you see an alternative to the EHU in it?

- I wouldn’t say that this is an alternative to the EHU. It is establishment of a National University, and EHU is not a national university. So this is a different project. National University includes not only humanitarian education, but also many other goals and tasks. The task to form National University has been high on the agenda since 1991  -when Belarus acquired independence and is still topical.

I read about the statement in newspapers and in the Internet but I don’t have detailed information about it. It would be interesting to know more! As I understand, it is somehow related to the results of the competition for the position of the EHU head, and secondly – with the concept that the European Humanitarian University is having now – to rewrite the mission of the university or to formulate it anew. There are actions from both the sides, but anyway – National University is an interesting project that doesn’t reject EHU project, since today’s EHU Chapter says that it is a private institution.

- Does Belarus need such university and why?

- It all depends on when Belarus will get its first university or what university is the first Belarusan one. Here an absolutely clear answer appears that the Belarusan leader voices today: it is the Belarusian State University (BSU) established in 1921. And that is one story that is counted from 1944.

The other story is, for example, Vilnius University that appeared in the 16^th century. And in that case we have an absolutely different tradition of university education. I.e. to establish the National University we need to understand which of the educational institutions lie in the basis of tradition, does this tradition exist at all or should we create it anew?

If we proceed from classical European universities that are dated hundreds of years ago, the system of management, organization, and decision-making processes in such universities will differ from the ones with Soviet history. In this sense the first question to answer is how European the Belarusan University should be. It doesn’t apply to the EHU in particular; this is the general task of the universities that are working in Belarus now, both state and private. Do they see Belarusan education system as a generally accepted system of European or Soviet states?

Unfortunately, now state universities have the courses that challenge academic freedoms, self-government, and so on. And it might be a challenge, a problem that should be solved for the National University.

- The slogan of the new project is “More Europe to Belarus”. Where do you think the university would be more useful: at home or abroad?

- The main thing is for such university to appear, whereas its territorial location is secondary. There is such university at the border of Germany and Poland: in Frankfort on the Oder and at the same time in Slubice. The two countries didn’t divide the university. Instead they made a campus that is situated in two states at the same time; i.e., two systems are working together and are building common future. And here is the same thing.

University doesn’t always mean walls; it is a community of teachers and students.

- Such as the Flying University, for example?

- Yes, such as the Flying University, Belarusian Collegium, and the European Humanitarian University until recently.

I understand that the question where to establish a university is very important from the political perspective. But at the same time we need to have information as to how far the realization of the project went or is it in the only in the stage of discussion.

For now I can only say that we need this project. But I don’t think that we can create it in Belarus from nothing right now. Most likely it will be a common campus of the existing educational projects. The main thing is that it appears.

The most obvious factor in terms of actuality is inclusion or non-inclusion of Belarus to bologna process. For now Belarus is the last country in Europe that is not included in it; and it’s a pity.

- But on May 14-15 Erevan will host a summit of the Education Ministers of the EU, where Belarus will formally be admitted to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). The working group has already prepared the corresponding decision…

- We will be admitted if despite the existing terms an exception will be made for us. Or, vice versa, road map will be determined and indications as to what Belarus should do will be made.   For now there is only a statement that we need to establish this university; but we don’t know where and how it is going to be established.

Anyway, the National University should initially be oriented at the values and norms of the Bologna process if we proceed from the fact that Belarus is a European state with European history and with a university tradition.

I am very glad that this initiative didn’t die out and that despite disappointments people still have desire to work in this direction.

- If you are suggested to work in the National University, will you agree?

- I am ready to teach, though only certain disciplines and I’m ready for cooperation – likewise my colleagues from the EHU, both those who were dismissed and those who keep working there now. This is an alternative and a step for healthy competition. All depends on the terms that will be formulated by the initiative group that is establishing this university.

- I.e. the teachers that were dismissed from the EHU will be able to create the core of the National University?

- No, they won’t, since this is not similar to working at some factory where people could change their place of work and still make the same ingots. In case of a university everything is more complicated, I think, and language plays a very important role, too. It is important what language will be used as a means of teaching and teaching materials.

Formation of new education projects means there is certain dynamics and development in the country. Even if not large-scale, such projects can be the models for developing ideas. When we talk about the need to establish the National University, then, unfortunately, we basically admit that the system of education that exists today doesn’t fully correspond to the national one. But we still have somewhat 40 universities and there are things that make them national.

Establishment of the National University isn’t an attempt to form some structure that will immediately attract 100 thousand students; it is rather a model that could be then transmitted to other education institutions. But first it should prove its vitality; and there is nothing new in it.

If we look back into history, when the EHU was still in Belarus it served as an experimental arena for trying out study programs different from those in other universities.

As I understand, the goal of the National University is not to get as many students as possible and create the teaching staff. It is rather a creation of a viable algorithm for the existing education system that would help the university to correspond to the national interests more.