European University at St. Petersburg passes state inspection, possibly paving way to reclaiming education license

The European University at St. Petersburg has passed a state inspection, possibly paving the way to reclaiming its education license. Last year, Russia’s Federal Education and Science Supervision Agency (Rosobrnadzor) had the school’s license annulled, and city officials forced the university to vacate its building. Rebranded as a research institute, European University has tried repeatedly to reclaim its education license, most recently in July 2018.

According to the newspaper Kommersant, state inspectors reviewed the school between July 31 and August 1, and found no safety violations that would prevent it from re-acquiring its license. Rosobrnadzor officials say this is “one of the steps” in the licensing process, and a final decision might come in early September.

The website Fontanka has reported that the change of heart could be tied to former Finance Minister Alexey Kudrin taking over as head of Russia’s Accounts Chamber. Kudrin reportedly spoke to officials in the Federal Emergency Management Agency and apparently negotiated a more “loyal” treatment of the European University.

• On June 20, Rosobrnadzor refused to re-accredit the Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences, known as “Shaninka.” Critics say the government’s actions against European University and Shaninka are part of a campaign to crack down on independent Russian schools with significant foreign ties.