BELARUS: Belarus closed a leading private university yesterday, citing violations of its operating licence. But university officials denounced the move as politically motivated and an attack on independent education in the former Soviet state.
Mr Nikolai Lis, a department head at the education ministry, said the ministry scrapped the licence of Europe's State University, the country's largest private university, for not providing enough space for students.
"The decision was made due to a violation of licensing demands . . . They will have to stop educational activities," Mr Lis said.
Officials at the university, where about 1,000 students are taught under European educational programmes, said the decision was politically motivated.
"The university has always distanced itself from politics, but it turned out that in the current situation even that is dangerous," Mr Sergei Pankovsky, adviser to the university chairman, said.
"Both the university's independence and the syllabus, which is similar to education in Europe, are probably reasons for closure."
Mr Pankovsky said the education ministry had previously criticised the university for inviting too many foreign lecturers. - (Reuters)