Bradley Bytes – A sort of political column by Dara Bradley

The Coimbra Group of universities – of which University of Galway is a member – has cancelled a Russian university’s membership of the alliance in response to the war on Ukraine.

University president Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh relayed the news to members of Údarás na hOllscoile at a Governing Body meeting this year.

The president said he was at the meeting of the Coimbra Group, “where the membership of the State University of St Petersburg was revoked, as a consequence of the university’s backing for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine”.

That’s according to minutes released to the Tribune under Freedom of Information (FOI).

The Coimbra Group (CG) has confirmed revocation of the membership status of St Petersburg State University.

This came after the rector of the university signed a statement, “backing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and going explicitly against the values that CG stands for”.

The decision was made at an “extraordinary general assembly” of CG, and “follows many months of consideration and attempts by CG to get an adequate clarification from (St Petersburg) on its position”.

CG said the move “only targets the institution, not its academics and students”; and it reiterated its call for peace.

Set up in 1985, the group comprises 40 universities in 20 countries.

As well as University of Galway, Trinity College Dublin is another Irish member.

The group does not have members in Israel or Palestine, but it will be interesting to see whether it takes a collective stance on the conflict in the Middle East, on which will be much harder to get consensus.

Pictured: University president Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh