MIT severing ties with Russian school
1:29 p.m.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced that it would sever ties with a Russian research university it helped create a decade ago.
MIT said that it notified the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology in Moscow that it would end the MIT Skoltech Program as a result of Russia’s “the unacceptable military actions against Ukraine.”
“This step is a rejection of the actions of the Russian government in Ukraine. We take it with deep regret because of our great respect for the Russian people and our profound appreciation for the contributions of the many extraordinary Russian colleagues we have worked with,” MIT said in a statement.
The Moscow school is closely connected to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government and has been targeted by critics who argue that U.S. universities should not play a role in helping the Russian government create an advanced technology institute, according to GPH News, an NPR affiliate in Boston.
--MONIQUE BEALS
Kleptocrats: a ruler who uses political power to steal his or her country's resources.
Kleptocracy: government by those who seek chiefly status and personal gain at the expense of the governed.
