The European Humanities University
The European Humanities University (EHU) has fought hard to gain its status as Belarus's only autonomous university. When it was forcibly closed down by the Belarusian authorities in 2004, it relocated to Vilnius in Lithuania, where it continues to pursue its mission to prepare future leaders of society in an academic environment free from discrimination.
Since its foundation in Minsk in 1992, EHU has sought to educate a new generation of students capable of promoting East-West dialogue and building an open society in Belarus. It was the first institution in Belarusian higher education to integrate European standards and methods and it aims to become an integral part of the European and international academic network.
EHU has been led by Rector Anatoli Mikhailov, a respected academic in German philosophy, for more than 15 years. One of the founders of EHU, he has always worked to build an alternative to the system of education inherited from the Soviet Union.
Studying or teaching at EHU carries with it personal risks - Prof. Mikhailov himself has not returned to his home country since the relocation. The future of students and staff in Belarus is uncertain; many have to leave their families behind. They often need extra support to adapt to a new life.
Yet despite the uncertainty they face, nearly 1,000 Belarusians choose to study at EHU in Vilnius, whilst more than 800 pursue low-residence study courses. The majority of the first MA 'graduates-in-exile' returned to work in independent media, NGOs, or other positions which help to keep civil society in Belarus alive.
EHU faculties have developed innovative programmes of BA and MA studies, and the courses, research and collaborative approaches have earned it international recognition. There is also a thriving cultural and social life beyond the classroom.
The university cooperates with academic institutions around the world, ties that ensured it received support when it re-established its activities in Lithuania in 2006. The main areas of international cooperation with European and North American institutions are :
- Cooperation agreements with 12 universities in 7 countries for student and teacher mobility;
- Reciprocal recognition of degrees and credit transfer arrangements with 16 European institutions participating in the Campus Europae programme;
- The development of joint degree programmes;
- Student internship programmes;
- Collaborative research;
- Membership of international university organisations, competitions and networks;
- Inter-faculty exchange.
The EHU Trust Fund, managed by the Nordic Council of Ministers, is the main channel for donor support to the EHU. The Fund aims is to raise, accept, and make use of funds provided by donors to the University while it is situated in Vilnius.