The European University in St. Petersburg (EUSP) is closing its Center for Modernization Studies to enhance the Center for Eurasian Studies and foster stronger ties with Chinese partners. The university’s press service confirmed this decision, initially reported by former employees, on June 3.

The closure is slated for June 30, with the integration of the two centers expected to conclude by the end of June 2025. According to the university, all employees of the Center for Modernization Studies have been offered research positions at the Center for Eurasian Studies.

The Center for Modernization Studies, established 17 years ago, focused on interdisciplinary social, economic, and political research. Its work included the development of monographs such as “European Modernization,” “The USSR After the Collapse,” and “Oil, Gas, and Modernization of Society.”

The university explained that the decision to merge the centers is driven by the expansion of cooperation with East China Normal University (ECNU) in Shanghai. The Center for Eurasian Studies, created in 2024 following a cooperation agreement with ECNU, will now incorporate the expertise of the Center for Modernization Studies in the study of modernization in Asian countries.

The agreement between EUSP and ECNU aims to develop humanitarian, sociological, and economic research areas and jointly train professional personnel. The Center for Eurasian Studies is involved in scientific research, consulting, and the organization of scientific events.

Last year, in June 2024, the European University closed the Faculty of Political Science. Prior to that, the Faculty of Political Science and Sociology was divided into two separate faculties. These changes occurred after a period when the university’s license was suspended due to various concerns, including those related to the activities of the Faculty of Political Science.