BSU students forced to attend Russian press congress

Students of the Institute of Journalism of Belarusian State University (BSU) were ordered to visit the meeting of the World Congress of the Russian Press to hear the “main speaker”.

Many students of the BSU Institute of Journalism have been forced to visit the 15th session of the World Congress of the Russian Press that is held on Thursday in Minsk. Students were supposed to create an appearance of massive participation in the forum for the main guest of the event – Aliaksandr Lukashenka, Salidarnasts reports.

The event gathered journalists from 300 media outlets, Russian officials and public figures, representatives of Belarusian governmental bodies, students and teachers of the BSU Institute of Journalism.

Information appeared on social networking websites last week that administrative leverage was used to invite students of the Institute of Journalism to a meeting with Lukashenka.

“110 students applied for taking part in the meeting,” the dean's office of the extramural faculty of the Institute of Journalism said Thursday morning. “More students wanted to go, but we sent the list of participants on Tuesday, so some couldn't attend the event. No administrative leverage was used. We even denied first-year students. They have a difficult exam session. They'd better study. We hope our students will ask interesting questions at the congress.”

Extramural students have a different version about the invitation to the congress.

“It was mandatory. The group leader came and said I must go. Extramural students are forced to visit such events during exam sessions. They catch us at lectures. For example, we were to study today, but they made everyone whom they found at the faculty go here. They will monitor how we will behave at the congress and what questions we will ask.”