Let us present an overview of the key developments in January 2026 in the field of education and science, divided into two sections – events in Belarus and events beyond its borders.
Within Belarus, key developments include the approval of the “Intellectual Belarus” program, the establishment of a new educational center, and an assessment of the state of scientific research amid ongoing repression. Outside the country, the focus has been on developing Belarusian academic infrastructure in exile, advancing research initiatives, and organizing public campaigns in support of Belarusian education.
EVENTS IN BELARUS
1. STATE PROGRAM “INTELLECTUAL BELARUS”
The state program “Intellectual Belarus” was announced as a framework defining the “main guidelines for implementing state policy in the field of education” for 2026–2030. The program was approved at the Supreme Council in December 2025 as priority number two in the hierarchy of the country’s socio-economic development goals.
However, as before, funding for the sector is allocated on a residual basis. The total funding for five years amounts to 6.4 billion BYN (approximately €1.87 billion), which is less than 20% of the expenditures allocated for security.
Under the pretext of aligning with labor market needs, the program envisions sending at least 50% of 9th-grade graduates to vocational and secondary specialized education institutions. In reality, this approach reflects not so much labor market needs as the technological backwardness of the economy. In OECD countries, the share of students in similar education programs is around 30%.
The program also indirectly highlights the catastrophic personnel situation in higher education, including the sharp decline in the proportion of faculty with academic degrees between 2020 and 2024 – from 47.3% to 40%. In absolute numbers, this represents a reduction of approximately 2,700 academic staff with degrees, or 28.5%. This decline results from general aging of the teaching staff, the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, and, most significantly, political repression, including politically motivated dismissals.
2. EDUCATIONAL CENTER FOR TRAINING SPECIALISTS IN PRIORITY FIELDS
On January 26, a meeting was held to discuss the establishment of an educational center for training specialists in priority fields, attended by Lukashenka. The center has been announced over recent years as a “Belarusian Harvard”. However, the discussion revealed that the center will primarily focus on training specialists for work in the defense industry.
The priorities will include:
- aviation engineering (especially UAVs);
- digital technologies;
- robotics;
- chemistry and biotechnology.
It is noteworthy that the center will mainly target engineering personnel. A requirement was mentioned for enhanced safety norms when conducting experimental research. Minister of Education A. Ivanets emphasized that the center will continue the trajectory of the National Children’s Technopark and specialized engineering classes in secondary schools. In practice, the establishment of the center reflects the deep militarization of the entire education system in Belarus.
3. ASSESSMENT OF THE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH SECTOR
On January 22, 2026, a ceremony was held to award doctoral diplomas and professor certificates, with Lukashenko present. During the ceremony, the shortcomings in science were acknowledged, including that “the lack of scientific competencies deprives the country of the ability to produce key components and control critical sectors and makes the economy vulnerable to sanctions pressure”.
Lukashenko presented prepared talking points stating that “science should be the driver of the economy,” highlighting the importance of the “knowledge economy”. However, the main vision for the scientific sphere has not changed: science must produce “practical, tangible results.” Criticism was repeated: “Significant funds are allocated to science in Belarus, but the output is still far from meeting the real needs of the country”. In reality, government spending on scientific research is minimal (around $125 million per year). These low allocations, combined with unfavorable social and managerial conditions, hinder the development of Belarusian science.
4. POLITICAL REPRESSION IN ACADEMIA AND RESEARCH
At least 20 members of the teaching, academic, and expert community continue to serve various terms of restricted freedom.
EVENTS OUTSIDE BELARUS
5. A. VALOVICH UNIVERSITY
The Belarusian Research University named after Astafei Valovich, registered as a public association last year in Poland, has significantly expanded its public engagement. Members of the initiative delivered a series of public offline lectures in cities across Poland and Lithuania (Warsaw, Białystok, Kraków, Wrocław, Vilnius, etc.). This has made a significant contribution to building Belarusian academic infrastructure in exile.
6. PRESENTATION OF RESEARCH BY BELARUSIAN SOCIOLOGISTS
A roundtable titled “The Invisible People: How Belarusian Migrant Families Acculturate in Lithuania, and What Policy Lessons Can Be Learned from Their Life Stories” was held on January 29, 2026, at the Institute of Sociology of the Lithuanian Center for Social Sciences in Vilnius. The event included the presentation of an in-depth study conducted by a group of Belarusian sociologists with the support of an EU4Belarus grant under the SALT program (Support for Advanced Learning and Training).
7. DIGEST OF INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS ON BELARUSIAN STUDIES
The H-Belarus network, created in 2025 for interdisciplinary Belarusian studies, published a digest of international publications on Belarusian studies for 2025. The digest includes 40 entries, comprising 4 monographs, 23 journal articles, 3 book chapters, and 10 other publications. The authors include both Belarusian and foreign researchers engaged in the study of issues related to Belarus.
8. CIVIC CAMPAIGN IN SUPPORT OF F. SKARYNA GYMNASIUM IN VILNIUS
In January 2026, a civic campaign was held in Vilnius to support education in the Belarusian language. The mobilization was triggered by a draft decision from the Vilnius City Council stipulating that migrant children starting primary school should study exclusively in schools with Lithuanian as the language of instruction. The Belarusian community perceived this as a threat to the continued operation of the F. Skaryna Gymnasium in Vilnius (Vilniaus Pranciškaus Skorinos gimnazija). Coordinated actions by the Association of Belarusian Parents, the United Transitional Cabinet, and the Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya led to a separate resolution allowing migrant children to enroll in the gymnasium’s primary classes with Belarusian-language instruction.
9. NEW CHAIR OF THE SENATE AT THE EUROPEAN HUMANITIES UNIVERSITY
On January 19, 2026, the Senate of European Humanities University elected Professor Dr. Jeffrey Taylor as its new Chair. Dr. Taylor is a well-known specialist in the international antique and art market.
The overview was prepared by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Education and Science, Pavel Tereshkovich.
Email: education@tsikhanouskaya.org
