инициативная группа студентов «За гуманное образование»

The situation at the Faculty of Biology of M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University

We are the students and the graduating students of the Faculty of Biology of MSU, the students of other faculties of MSU and the students of faculties of Biology of other universities. We don't want to tolerate the violation of the animal experimentation rules that occur on the Faculty of Biology of MSU. We campaigned for the observance of russian work regulations of animal testing, for empowering students to choose whether to take part in tests on animals or to use humane alternative methods and for returning the Bioethics course to the second year of education. The administration of the faculty refuses to take into account ethical views of the students and makes the information barrier that causes the students' ignorance of innovative alternative methods in education, though they are accepted in many universities of the world. The dean's office started victimizating the rebels: in october, 2007 one of the students who had refused to take part in inhumane experiments was expelled in spite of his good progress. If you share our demands, we ask you to support us!

Modern biology doesn't need vivisection

Our motivation for the studies of biology isn't only the desire to become highly skilled specialists, but our respectful attitude towards nature with all its life-forms. There are so many biology disciplines (molecular biology, ecology, microbiology, phytophysiology etc.) that everybody can choose it as a career, even those who detest vivisection. That's why we dispute the traditional education process at the faculty as it cultivates disrespectful attitude towards life and nature. Particularly it has to do with practical training. It's strange to hear from the chiefs of the faculty such words as "If you don't want to cut and kill don't become a biologist" as an answer to proposals to replace inhumane painful experiments on animals by humane alternative methods.

Obsolete experiments. Violations. The gag rule

It's outrageous that our faculty doesnt't fulfil the requirements of russian and international rules of using experimental animals, and the students suffer from obsolete and criminal methods of education. In particular, experiments on animals are conducted on the physiology course. Here we can find the notorious "experiments on frogs" that are performed on alive frogs without anesthesia. The evidence of it is given by hundreds of students and professors.

Nowadays innovative alternative methods aren't used at the faculty at all. In fact, it is the information blocade – any attempt to use such methods is rejected in spite of the faculty's duty to "inquire and adopt new methods of education", that has a negative influence on the quality of education. Students that refuse to take part in inhumane and at the same time illegal experiments on animals become victims or even can be expelled from the university (that has happened to Roman Belousoff in october 2007).

To prevent such "problems" the chiefs of the Departments of Physiology (human and animal physiology) insisted on moving the Bioethics course from the 3 to the 8 semester – it is after the students choose the department and pass practical course. Besides, the course is now given by the Faculty of Philosophy. It means that it doesnt't touch upon some issues that are very important to experimentators to be. Thereby students have a lack of information about alternative methods, legislative rules in different countries including "Rules of working with experimental animals" in Russia. It has only worsened the situation of legal and ethical rights violations and students have to carry out experiments on animals without knowledge of Russian and international codes.

Our demands:

1. To give the students of the Faculty of Biology of MSU the opportunity to choose whether to take part in experiments or to undergo practical training by using alternative methods. Development and adoption of innovative methods is the university's duty.
2. To eliminate all the violations of experiments that contradict "Rules of working with the use of experimental animals" at the Faculty of Biology and, in particular, to make the use of anesthesia obligatory in all kinds of experiments held out at the faculty. Nowadays anesthesia is not used at all.
3. To return the course of biological ethics to the 3rd course. This course is extremely important before choosing the department and studying human and animal physiology. Putting it to the 8 semester made the course a simple formality.
4. Reinstate Belousoff Roman as a student and give him an opportunity to eliminate the academic failure caused by illegal expulsion.

The administration of the University wants to halt our demands by repressions. Please, support us. You can phone and write letters to support us.

1. Press-secretary of MSU:
   tel: +7 (495) 939-36-67; fax: +7 (495) 939-22-64;
   E-Mail: press@rector.msu.ru.
2. Chancellor of the MSU Sadovnichiy V.A.:
   tel: +7 (495) 939-10-00; fax: +7 (495) 939-01-26;
   E-Mail: info@rector.msu.ru.
3. Minister of education and science of RF Fursenko A.A.:
   tel: +7 (495) 629-70-62; fax: +7 (495) 629-08-91;
   address: 125993, Russia, Moscow, Tverskaya st., 11;
   E-Mail: info@mon.gov.ru.
4. Dean of the faculty of Biology of MSU Kirpichnikov M.P:
   tel: +7 (495) 939-27-76; fax: +7 (495) 939-43-09;
   E-Mail: adm@adm.bio.msu.ru;
   address: 119992, Russia, Moscow, Leninskie gory, d.1, str. 12, Faculty of biology.

Please inform us about your letters and calls. Send the copies of your letters to humane.education@gmail.com

There are 3 ways to support us:

1. Collect signatures for supporting our demands. Inform your colleagues.
2. Заходите на наш сайт http://humane.org.ru подписывайтесь под нашим обращением, напишите письмо в нашу поддержку.
3. Organise actions of solidarity.

Visit our site http://humane.org.ru and sign this appeal.Please, send all your letters of support to humane.education@gmail.com, or leave your opinion and commentaries on the current page. All of these would be certainly published.

We need Your support and call to you to help in our struggle for the right to be the students of the University.