Russian Scholars in the Time of War: academic freedom vs academic sanctions

Since February 2022, Russian science and higher education have been in a state of profound shock. The outbreak of war, combined with the imposition of military censorship, has forced much of the academic community into a mode of survival or silent resistance. A prominent Russian sociologist has described the current domestic situation as one of asphyxia—a condition in which scholars are unable to breathe freely, stripped of their freedom both as citizens and as academics.

At the same time, those scholars who managed to leave Russia and remain abroad have encountered serious constraints in their academic work. Their Russian citizenship alone has, in many cases, restricted their ability to participate in scholarly debate. This condition may be described, following the same sociological metaphor, as aphonia—the inability to speak.

This presentation will explore the dual pressures facing Russian scholars today: the internal repression within Russia and the external limitations imposed by exile. It will address the complex tensions between academic freedom and epistemic justice in the context of war, examining how calls for academic boycotts—and even total exclusion—of Russian scholars have raised critical ethical and political questions. These include whether scholars are being collectively held responsible for the actions of the Russian state and military, and what space remains for genuine academic engagement in such a polarized global environment.

Přednášející: Dr. Dmitry Dubrovskiy