An unprecedented decision: one of the top universities of Ukraine banned the Russian language within its walls
It was forbidden to communicate in the language of the aggressor state – Russian – on the territory of the National University “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy”. The ban applies to administrative staff, students and university teachers, writes Obozrevatel.
Such a norm was approved on Friday, January 27, in the new rules of the internal procedure of NaUKMA. This was announced by a member of the supervisory board of the university, Gennady Zubko, on his Facebook page.
He reminded that the teaching of subjects in Russian has not been conducted at the university for a very long time. Now on the territory of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy” it was forbidden to communicate with each other in this language.
“The new rules, which are pushed by the demands and challenges of time, prescribe norms regarding distance learning and its digital formats, flexible forms of work schedules, accounting of working hours, etc.,” he wrote.
Zubko noted that such decisions require a new reality, namely the full-scale invasion of the aggressor state of Russia on the territory of Ukraine.
NaUKMA is considered one of the most prestigious Ukrainian universities. During all the years of independence, she had quite progressive and oppositional attitudes, she was one of the first to support mass protests in 2004 and 2013-2014.
In a comment to BBC News Ukraine, the President of NaUKMA, Serhiy Kvit, explained how the new rules will work.
According to him, there will be no punishments for using Russian and no one will specifically monitor the language of communication between people.
“This is not a question of punishment, but of cultural changes. The point is not to punish, but to change our internal corporate culture. No one will eavesdrop on the students, but the internal public opinion will be such that it will contribute to “Mohylyanka” (editor – short name “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy” in Ukrainian spoken) being fully was a Ukrainian-speaking university,” Mr. Kvit noted.
According to his forecasts, such a decision will affect the situation with the Russian language at the university.
“We will pay attention to the language issue, we will do social advertising. The academic conference voted unanimously because they considered it a problem. We believe that the Ukrainian language should be heard in our university,” said the president of NaUKMA. And also English as a working friend.
He believes that now in the conditions of war this question is really important.
“Such a decision will prevail over public opinion in the middle of the collective and people will pay attention to it,” he added.
At the same time, in “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy” they separated the rule about banning the Russian language from the educational process and scientific research. That is, if there is a need to use unique Russian-language scientific sources in works, they can be used.
“We see that there are problems in the higher education of Ukraine, when teachers teach courses for 25 years, using the same Soviet sources. This is unacceptable. If they are really unique, then they can be used, if there are no analogues in Ukrainian or English,” Serhii noted. Flower.
He also emphasized that the use of Russian-language sources is absolutely acceptable for studying modern processes in Russia and its politics.
Article 10 of the Constitution states that in Ukraine “the free development, use and protection of Russian and other languages of the national minorities of Ukraine is guaranteed.”
Therefore, as Kvit says, students will not be punished for using Russian in communication.
When asked if the university is ready for lawsuits over the language and the new rules, Kvit simply says, “We’re ready for anything.”
