European Humanities University

Minsk period (1992–2004)

The university was established in Minsk in 1992. At that time it comprised eight schools and provided education with 13 programs in humanities, foreign and classical languages, and IT. EHU was a basis for the establishment of research centers and institutes in Belarus: the Institute of German Studies, the Center for Economic and Social Research, the Center for Gender Studies, the Center for Civic Education, the Information and Resource Center on the European Integration and others.

In 2002 it was one of the first universities to join European University Foundation - Campus Europae.

On July 24, 2004 the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus revoked university's license for the provision of educational services, claiming the campus was unsuitable for classes. The university was forced to terminate its operations. The actions of the authorities provoked a mass protest next day; about two hundred students and faculty defended their right to study and work in EHU.^[5]

Vilnius period (2004–present)

In 2005 EHU reestablished its activity in Lithuania with the support of the Government of Lithuania, European Commission, the Nordic Council of Ministers, and support by European countries and international foundations.

On March 10, 2006 EHU was granted the status of a private Lithuanian university. The first EHU undergraduate class in Vilnius completed its studies in 2009.

On June 5, 2012 EHU celebrated its 20th anniversary in Vilnius Town Hall.^[6]

On June 14, 2013 EHU was awarded an Atlantic Council Freedom Award for unwavering commitment to democracy in Belarus by providing Belarusian students with a free and democratic environment to pursue their education.^[7]

In 2014 EHU completed faculty reform, which aimed at providing better working conditions for faculty and to strengthening the overall quality of education and research at the university.^[8] In 2015 EHU announced the results of an international rector’s search, which involved 19 candidates from seven countries. On April 3 Prof. G. David Pollick (US) was appointed as Rector.^[9] In the same year university Senate endorsed Magna Charta Universitatum.^[10]. In summer 2016 Prof. G. David Pollick resigned from the University's Rector position. Starting October 3, 2016 Jørgen Jørgensen (Denmark) served as University's Acting Rector.^[11] In academic year 2016/17 EHU started implementation of the brand new liberal arts-inspired Core Curriculum, which was designed with an assistance of the Bard College network.^[12] Starting March 1, 2018 former Minister of Education of Bulgaria Professor Sergei Ignatov serves as University's Rector.^[13]

General Assembly of Part-Owners

The General Assembly of Part-Owners is the highest governing body of the university that brings together organizations that reestablished EHU in Lithuania after its closure in Minsk. These include the Institute for International Education (Lithuania), Eastern Europe Studies Centre (Lithuania), Open Society Foundations (US) and Eurasia Foundation (US). Chairperson of the GAPO is Horton Beebe-Center, President of the Eurasia Foundation.

Governing Board

The Governing Board is responsible for the strategic direction, finances, and functioning of the university. Starting December 14, 2016 the new membership of the Governing Board has been appointed for the 3-years term^[16]. The composition of the Governing Board^[17]:

• Chair Per Carlsen (Denmark), Former Ambassador of Denmark to Latvia
• Vice-Chair Eva Srejber (Sweden), Former Vice President of the European Investment Bank
• Prof. Anatoli Mikhailov, ex officio (Belarus), President of the European Humanities University
• Jørgen Jørgensen, ex officio (Denmark), Acting Rector of the European Humanities University
• Prof. Ludger Kühnhardt (Germany), Center for European Integration Studies, University of Bonn
• Prof. Michael Kennedy (USA), Professor of Sociology and International and Public Affairs, Brown University
• Ewa Ośniecka-Tamecka (Poland), Vice-Rector of the College of Europe
• Jonas Paslauskas (Lithuania), Lithuania's Ambassador-at-Large for Eastern Neighborhood
• Artiom Anisimov (Belarus), EHU Alumnus, Space Advocate at Noosphere Ventures

President

Prof. Anatoli Mikhailov is a scholar in the field of German philosophy, who founded EHU in Minsk in 1992 and served as Rector until September 30, 2014. Starting October 2014 Prof. Mikhailov serves as EHU President.

Rector

Starting October 3, 2016 the General Assembly of Part-Owners appointed Jørgen Jørgensen as University Acting Rector. Before this appointed, he served as Administrative director at the Aarhus University, Denmark’s second largest university. Jørgen Jørgensen’s professional background lies in the area of ministerial work at the Danish Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of the Interior and Health, where he has served in different capacities during a significant number of meetings on European Union, United Nations, and World Health Organization levels^[18].

Senate

The Senate is an academic self-governance body, operating on the basis of the Oxbridge model, thus faculty working at EHU are under employment contracts of at least 27 hours per week. Five student representatives and the Chief for Academic Affairs are members of the Senate. Its functions are to ensure academic self-governance and maintain academic freedoms. Chair of the Senate is Professor Emeritus Ryhor Miniankou.

Students' Union

Students' Union is an autonomous student self-government body, operating as a legal entity, which represents EHU students internally and externally, as according to the Law on Higher Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania. EHU Students' Union is a full member of the Lithuanian National Union of Students.

Doctor Honoris Causa

EHU's Doctor Honoris Causa degree is conferred upon scholars, statesmen, public, religious, and political figures of the Republic of Belarus and other countries to honor their accomplishments in humanities and social sciences, university education and culture; their contributions to the development of democracy and the realization of the principles of the rule of law; and their contribution to the development of culture and promotion of intercultural dialog.

EHU Honorary Doctors are:

• Alain Fleischer, French writer, film director, and photographer.
• Aleś Razanaŭ, Belarusian poet and translator.
• Fr. Alexander Nadson (1926–2015), Apostolic Visitor for Belarusian Greek-Catholic faithful abroad and a Belarusian émigré social and religious leader.
• Prof. Peter Pavlowski
• Prof. Andrea Riccardi, an Italian researcher of Church history, professor of Contemporary History, Roma Tre University, Italy.
• Prof. Rolf Stober, German lawyer and political figure, project coordinator of international educational and research programs in the field of law.
• Stéphane Hessel, French diplomat, public figure, writer.
• Olga Sedakova, Russian poet, translator and scholar of Christian culture.
• Prof. Alfred Grosser, French educational and cultural figure, head of academic programs.
• Prof. Krzysztof Zanussi, Polish film director and public figure, president of the Federation of European Film Directors.
• Wolfgang Grieger, a German businessman, head of the Grieger Mallison consulting company, philanthropist.
• Prof. Sergey Averintsev (1927–2004), Russian researcher in culture and classical philology.
• Prof. Algirdas Brazauskas (1932–2010), President (1993–1998) and Prime Minister (2001–2006) of the Republic of Lithuania.
• Prof. Nikolaus Wyrwoll, theologian, researcher of the dialog between the Catholic and the Orthodox Churches, director of the University of Regensburg's Institute of the Eastern Church, Germany.

Faculty

• Oleg Bresky – PhD in Law, professor.
• Andrey Gornykh – PhD in Philosophy, professor, author of books and articles on philosophy and cultural studies.
• Aliaksandr Kalbaska – PhD in History, professor, EHU Chief of Academic Affairs.
• Eduard Melnikau – PhD in History, professor, Belarusian journalist, producer of documentary films and TV programs, talk-show "Forum" host (TV channel Belsat).
• Ryhor Miniankou – PhD in Philosophy, Professor Emeritus, Chairman of the EHU Senate, author of articles on social philosophy and history of sociology.
• Anatoli Mikhailov – PhD in Philosophy, professor, EHU Founding Rector and President.
• Iryna Ramanava – PhD in History, professor, author of publications on the history of Soviet Belarus, co-author of a book "Mir: the history of the small town told by its residents (2009).
• Henadz Sahanovich – PhD in History, professor, author of the books "Unknown war: 1654–1667” (1995) and “The Battle of Grunwald in Belarusian History” (2016).
• Alla Sokolova – PhD in Law, Professor Emerita, author of more than 50 publications on general law theory and sociology of law.
• Almira Ousmanova – PhD in Philosophy, professor, author of the monograph "Umberto Eco: paradoxes of interpretation”, numerous articles on semiotics, visual and gender studies, editor of anthologies “The Philosophy of Postmodernity” (1996), “Anthology of Gender Theory” (2000), “Gender History of Eastern Europe” (2002), “Bi-textuality and Cinema” (2003), “Gender and Transgression in Visual Arts” (2007), “Visual (as) Violence” (2007), “Belarusian format: invisible reality” (2008).
• Tatiana Shchyttsova – PhD in Philosophy, professor, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of philosophical and cultural studies Topos, author of articles and papers on philosophical anthropology, social philosophy, phenomenology.
• Victor Martinovich – PhD in Art Criticism, Associate Professor, Belarusian journalist, art critic, author of several books.

Notable alumni

• Uladzimir Puhach, undergraduate program in law, class 1998, the front-man of a popular Belarusian rock band J:Морс, which has released 8 studio albums.
• Uladzislau Androsau, Master's program "Protection and Interpretation of Cultural Heritage", class 2012, EHU Distinguished Alumnus-2014, the owner of "Med Travel Belarus", which provides medical tourism services.
• Artiom Anisimov, undergraduate program in international law, class 2009, holds MA degree in Law from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, specializes in space-, cyber- and telecommunication law. Anisimov is a representative of Space Generation Advisory Council to the UN ECOSOC, member of the EHU Governing Board, Associated Consultant at A.T. Kearney.
• Volha Hapeeva, Master's program "Gender Studies", class 2007, Belarusian poet, writer, translator, winner of the literary contest "Ex Libris", "Golden apostrophe", awarded Janka Maur prize, author of several books.
• Dzmitry Bazhko, undergraduate program "Cultural Heritage and Tourism", class 2009, EHU Distinguished Alumnus-2015, project manager at Airbnb.