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Letter to EMS Council

25 Comments

P
Pavel Etingof
4 years ago

I want to clarify my understanding of this petition, and why I signed it. The petition calls to reconsider the EMS recommendation, not to abolish sanctions altogether. The explanation that follows does not discuss business enterprises, and the petition is not asking to change the recommendation on them. It only criticizes a blanket recommendation to cut ties with state institutions without a clarification that this does not cover joint activities with individual mathematicians affiliated with such institutions. Such a clarification is needed since otherwise cutting ties with institutions formally implies a restriction on such joint activities. I believe that the decision whether to (continue to) engage in such activities should be an individual decision of every mathematician. The EMS later informed me that they in fact agree with this principle. But this wasn't and isn't clear to me from the formulation of the EMS statement.

J
Jenya Soprunova
4 years ago

Kent State University

V
Vladimir Dotsenko
4 years ago Featured

I find a blanket freeze like that really counterproductive. It mainly hits people who condemn the actions of Russia, and is highly unlikely to do anything to change the stance of the Russian government.

A
Anton Dzhamay
4 years ago

University of Northern Colorado, USA

J
Jenya Soprunova
4 years ago

Kent State University

J
Julia Pevtsova
4 years ago

University of Washington, US

S
sergey arkhipov
4 years ago

Aarhus University, Denmark

A
Andrey Smirnov
4 years ago Featured

Department of mathematics, University of North Carolina This time is especially difficult for mathematicians working in Russia. I believe our math society should fully support them

I
Ivan Soprunov
4 years ago

Cleveland State University

Y
Yasuyuki Kawahigashi
4 years ago

the University of Tokyo

Y
Yaping Yang
4 years ago

The university of Melbourne

V
Vladimir Latocha
4 years ago Featured

You are trying to outsmart people who cancelled a concert because it was composed by Prokofiev.

G
Gaetan Borot
4 years ago Featured

HU Berlin. In this form it forbids the invitation of scientists affiliated to Russian institutions, are opposed to the action of their government and want to leave the country.

L
Leonid Polterovich
4 years ago

Israel

J
Jeanne Scott
4 years ago

Cooperation and Exchanges must be preserved.

V
Vladimir Baranovsky
4 years ago Featured

This form of functions might increase the number of trained researchers that do work with military applications.

Z
Zhiwei Yun
4 years ago

MIT

M
Michael McBreen
4 years ago

CUHK

I
Iosif Polterovich
4 years ago

Université de Montréal

M
Masha Vlasenko
4 years ago

This is an anti-sanctions petition. The authors want to be comforted and not feeling the guilt. I know Russian mathematicians who are okay with sanctions against them, and I think they sincerely oppose Putin. Read carefully: this petition is not even about breaking academic ties, it mentions business enterprises in Russia. Sanctions are a temporary measure aimed to stop the Russian invasion. Is there a better way to stop it? And even for the academic relations, this is a wrong moment to beat the alarm over them. No one says the contacts will be broken forever, they are only being suspended. While the Russian troops are shooting in Ukraine, while people are dying from missiles and from the humanitarian catastrophe caused by them, the world should do everything to stop the war. When the war is over, for those who will survive, I am sure that the civilized world will do its best to keep contacts with the scientists in Russia. But now, please, stand by the Ukrainian people. Don't sign this selfish appeal.