Tent City Participant Dzianis Stoliar Expelled from Postgraduate Program

30.12.2006.

UCP member Dzianis Stoliar told the party press service his story of how he had been forced to stop his education at Teacher’s University PhD Program.

“Everything was all right until November 13, 2006. Then I had a meeting with my scientific adviser in order to sign the individual working plan and other papers needed for the report which was to take place soon. But I heard from my scientific adviser that I “got in some trouble”. In the beginning I did not understand what ”trouble” he was talking about. The scientific adviser added that because of me both he and the head of the department might get in trouble as well. He said I had only two options: either leave the PhD program on my own, or my scientific plan would not be signed. Then I would be expelled for failing in my scientific research. There was no time to think. He told me I had to make a decision now. He promised if I leave the program on my own, without “noise”, he will continue to work with me, and, possibly, later I would be able to return. To be sincere, I didn’t know what to do. I asked for time until the next day, to think about his proposal. However, he said I had to make the decision right at that moment. I didn’t want to waste 2 years of research into the history of guerilla movement in Belarus. I wrote a statement that I wanted to leave at my own will. The next day I tried to found out in the university what the reason for my expulsion was. But I didn’t learn much. They only hinted that it had been initiated not by the university administration. They said I should know better what I was expelled for, and if I didn’t know that, no one would be able to tell me. And if there is anybody who knows that, I will not be able to reach them.

I don’t know the real reason of pressure on me. There are numerous cases when students are expelled for their political or public activity. However, usually that happened after they had been detained by police or, at least, after some conversations with administration of their educational institutions. In my case everything is sudden, unexpected, and unclear. I don’t even have an “unofficial” explanation. Yes, I am a member of UCP, I participated in educational seminars, I took part in election campaigns of 2001, 2004, and 2006, I distributed promotion materials… As every honest person, I took part in March protests this year. I spent the first night on the square – but I was lucky – I didn’t get detained or arrested. But why did they do it now? I am sorry that 2 years of my research went in vain. Although I managed to gather practically all materials and can work with them in my free time. But, most probably, I will be able to defend my thesis only after the change of the political situation in Belarus.