We, the representatives of the international academic and civil society, support the aspirations of the Belarusian people in their struggle for democracy and human rights, which was strongly demonstrated during the 2020 presidential elections, and we consider it necessary to support the intention of representatives of the Belarusian academia, as well as civil society and democratic organizations that stand together with them. We are convinced of the great importance of the creation of Belarusian Research University in the EU.

Belarus currently has completely unfavorable conditions for the development of education and culture, because the country’s harsh dictatorial regime not only prohibits independent educational institutes, shamefully destroying academic freedoms and discharging representatives of Belarusian education and science who oppose the policies of the authoritarian government without the possibility of returning to work, but the regime also contributes to the large-scale Russification and colonization of the Belarusian nation, helping to advance "the Russian world" to the West.

Currently, there are about 50 higher educational institutions officially operating in Belarus, but education in none of them is conducted in Belarusian language - the official language of the nation, but exclusively in Russian. In primary and secondary education, only 10% of Belarusian children have the opportunity to be taught in their native language. Belarusian educational space is dominated by ideological control, militarization of education and political censorship. Hundreds and thousands of highly skilled specialists cannot freely engage in scientific and teaching activities in the country and are forced to move abroad due to persecution and violence.

At the same time, Belarusians as a nation deserve that the representatives of its academia can conduct productive scientific and educational work in their language, as well as in other world languages. Free and democratic Belarus will need a strong academic environment for conducting important scientific research in various fields and a center for Belarusian studies that would go beyond just Russian studies, as well as a place for training future specialists - masters and doctors of science in important scientific areas, primarily in social sciences and humanities, that are currently most vulnerable to censorship and repression. The creation of a research university and spreading of knowledge about Belarus will contribute to the decolonization of ideas about the post-Soviet space and will benefit the Western academic and expert community.

We, the undersigned, believe that the free dissemination of knowledge, the absence of ideological restrictions on scientific research and the right of the nation to education in its native language are basic elements of human and social development, therefore we support the establishment and registration of the Belarusian Research University within the EU and call on the politicians of these countries, as well as the foundations that cater to such causes, to establish close cooperation with the team of creators in regards to founding and financial support of this project.