{"id":89994,"date":"2024-06-11T12:08:38","date_gmt":"2024-06-11T09:08:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/89994\/"},"modified":"2024-06-11T12:08:40","modified_gmt":"2024-06-11T09:08:40","slug":"minsk-nationalizes-political-science","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/89994\/","title":{"rendered":"Minsk nationalizes political science"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The underlying motive behind the establishment of the Belarusian Society of Political Scientists Society might be to prevent political analysts based in the country from disseminating ideas that the government considers harmful.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n \"\"\n
\n \n
\n (freepik.com \/ Racool studio)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Criminal case against analysts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Belarusian Society of Political Scientists (BSPS) held its founding conference in Hrodna on June 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By mere coincidence, it came one day after the Minsk Regional Court opened a criminal trial without the defendants being present against 20 independent Belarusian political scientists and experts allegedly linked to opposition leader \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The society was established in the framework of the 10th<\/sup> international scientific conference “Sovereignty – Security – Integration” timed to the 30th anniversary of the presidency in Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organizers claimed that a hundred people were ready to take part in its activities and invited new members to join in.
 
Viktar Vatyl, head of the Political Science Department at Hrodna State University, was elected chairman of the BSPS.

The founding of the society came as no surprise. Similar associations operate in the USA, Poland and many other countries. In 2013, the Society of Political Scientists was established in Russia, whose experience and practices are a reference point for Minsk.

According to the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Institute, Belarus scored only four points out of 100 in academic freedom in 2023. The score was much lower than that of the USSR during perestroika and of countries in Central and Eastern Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Russia scored 20 points, while Belarus has slipped to the level of the USSR in the early 1980s.

Academic freedom (on a scale from 0 to 100)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Western Europe and North America (2023)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Central and Eastern Europe (2023)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 USSR in 1985-1991 (average value)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Russia (2023)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 USSR in 1980-1984 (average value)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0Belarus (2023)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n \"\"\n
\n \n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Source: Calculations based on V-Dem scores<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Skepticism about Western European science<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The BSPS chairman said the association should avoid imitating Western European political science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is necessary to nationalize not only political science, but also the state experience,” Vatyl stressed.

Political science is a science whose role is to establish facts and develop verifiable and logically consistent theories. It is unclear how the process of establishing facts or empirically testing theories be nationalized.

In terms of methodological principles, there is no Western, domestic, oppositional and pro-government political science. Differences are only possible within the subject of research.

But the question is whether political science is meant here as a science at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vadzim Michailo\u016dski, a delegate, said that the BSPS will be looking for “heralds, who will communicate with journalists and explain people in plain language the principles of our state policy both at home and abroad.”

Communicating certain ideas in “plain language” does not necessarily contradict scientific research and can complement it quite well. But BSPS delegates did not talk much about research. Instead, they emphasized the need for “scientific justification to current processes” and “a close alliance between the government and the expert community.”

Therefore, the association may simply engage in propaganda to devise “scientific justifications” for the current political course. And it would certainly have to adjust to when that course changes direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeping analysts on short leash<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Based on delegates\u2019 statements, actions and cultural background, they have a strong belief that political scientists can control socio-political processes.

Before the 2020 election, Belarusian authorities arrested Vital \u0160klaro\u016d, a Belarusian-born and US-based political strategist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In August 2020, police detained researcher Stas Harelik for studying mass protests out of scientific interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the time, officials spoke with fear about “Gene Sharp manuals” allegedly used to control the masses and overthrow governments.

Every year, the Belarusian regime celebrates the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 and dishes out praise to the Bolshevik leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, that revolution haunts officials as a demon. They are afraid that someone can control the masses to overthrow governments. Their fear is fanned by the fact that the main actors of the 1917 coup were political theorists and intellectuals.

Thus, it is quite possible that the underlying motive behind the BSPS establishment is the fear that political scientists based in the country might nurture ideas harmful to the regime. So, the real purpose of the new association is to keep them under strict surveillance.

Within this body, most loyal political scientists will be offered career bonuses, such as access to the media, invitations to prestigious events and higher pay. Less loyal ones will be constantly under guidance, and the system of incentives will push them to move into the category of the more loyal ones.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also read: Traditional values: Russia\u2019s soft power must be taken seriously<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n



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The underlying motive behind the establishment of the Belarusian Society of Political Scientists Society might be to prevent political analysts based in the country from disseminating ideas that the government considers harmful. Criminal case against analysts The Belarusian Society of Political Scientists (BSPS) held its founding conference in Hrodna on June 1. By mere coincidence, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":60327,"template":"","rubric":[22],"class_list":["post-89994","longreads","type-longreads","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-theviewer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMinsk nationalizes political science | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The underlying motive behind the establishment of the Belarusian Society of Political Scientists Society might be to prevent political analysts based in\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/89994\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Minsk nationalizes political science | Pozirk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The underlying motive behind the 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