THE UNIVERSITY
of EDINBURGH
Records Management Section
The University of Edinburgh
Old College
South Bridge
Edinburgh EH8 9YL
Direct Dial 0131 651 4099
Switchboard 0131 650 1000
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xx.xx.xx
23 March 2022
www.ed.ac.uk/records-management
File ref: FOI2022/00104
J Dennis
Sent by email: request-836902-
xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Dear J Dennis
Freedom of Information request: FOI2022/00104
Thank you for your email of 25 February 2022 requesting information about connections
with Russia.
The University of Edinburgh is a global university, rooted in Scotland. We are global y
recognised for our research, development and innovation and we have provided world-
class teaching to our students for more than 430 years. We are the largest university in
Scotland and in 2020/21 our annual revenue was £1.18 bil ion, of which £324 million was
research income. We have over 45,000 students and over 16,000 staff. We are a
founding member of the UK's Russell Group of leading research universities and a
member of the League of European Research Universities.
International range of activities
The University operates on an international stage and this is reflected in all areas of
university life. The institution has a range of framework agreements with leading
universities, ministries and governments throughout the world. We collaborate daily with
national and international colleagues - jointly researching, teaching, organising
conferences and providing seminars. We also offer a growing number of jointly awarded
PhD degree programmes in partnership with universities within the UK and beyond.
Connections with Russia
Funding from Russian sources
You asked for information about funding from Russian sources, both governmental and
non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Major prospective donations to the University always undergo a rigorous due diligence
process and until the end of 2021 they went before our Ethical Fundraising Advisory
Group. Since then, the Income Due Diligence Group now considers and advises on
whether the source and purpose of donations, fundraising and other funded activities are
ethically acceptable.
University Secretary: Ms Sarah Smith
The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336
As you did not specify a time frame for this question I am providing information for the
last five academic/financial years, from 2016/17 to present. In this period, the University
has received no funding from any organisation or individual based in Russia.
Visits from high profile Russian visitors, gifts received by the University or staff from
Russian sources, official university visits by staff to Russia
You asked for information about visits from high profile Russian individuals, gifts received
by the University or University staff from Russian sources, and any official visits by to
Russia by University staff.
So that the University's schools and subject areas are managed according to their
individual and distinctive operational needs, the University operates a devolved
management structure comprising three academic colleges, subdivided into twenty-one
schools, and three support groups, subdivided into some seventy support services. The
information you request for each of these questions could be held by a range of
departments within this structure. To respond to your requests fully, I would have to
contact a number of local areas within the University to establish the location of relevant
information in relation to each question. Doing this would cost more than £600 for each
question, the limit over which the University is not required to respond to freedom of
information requests. If you were to restrict your requests to named individuals, the cost
would be reduced. However, please be aware that it may be the case that information
would be exempted from disclosure on grounds of potential disclosure of personal
information. A list of the
University's schools and departments is available on our
website.
Details of the meetings held on 27th June 2018 between Peter Mathieson and the
Russian Ambassador
You asked for details of meetings held on 27th June 2018 between Peter Mathieson and
the Russian Ambassador. Principal Peter Mathieson met with Consul General Andrey
Pritsepov and Vice Consul Anastasia Ili nskaya. They discussed a potential study tour of
Russian universities, to be undertaken by senior representatives of Scotland’s
universities.
Documents, memos or emails mentioning or discussing the death of Edinburgh academic
Alexander Kagansky
You asked for any documents, memos or emails mentioning or discussing the death of
Edinburgh academic Alexander Kagansky.
Information regarding this request for could be held by a range of departments within the
University. To respond to your request fully, I would have to contact a number of local
areas within the University to establish the location of relevant information. Doing this
would cost more than £600, the limit over which the University is not required to respond
to freedom of information requests. If you were to restrict your request to a specific area
within the University, the cost would be reduced. However, please be aware that it may
be the case that information would be exempted from disclosure on grounds of potential
disclosure of personal information, and that the cost may stil be stil prove to be over the
£600 limit. A list of the
University's schools and departments is available on our website.
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Details of funding received from Russkiy Mir
You asked for details of funding received from Russkiy Mir, including the £221,000
received for the Princess Dashkova Russian Centre.
Since 2010 the University has received a total of £221,073 in funding from the Russkiy
Mir Foundation. This included initial funding to provide furniture, equipment and
stationery for the Princess Dashkova Russian Centre, funding towards an international
conference in December 2014, and annual funding for the salary of one post.
Following an expression of interest from the Foundation in establishing a relationship and
subsequent discussions, the Russkiy Mir Foundation’s provision of financial support to
the Centre was established through an Agreement of Cooperation in February 2009. In
2010 and 2011 contracts for donations for furniture and equipment for the new Centre
were also agreed. A 2011 donation agreement for funds to cover the salary costs of
one post in the Centre was signed annually.
From 2018 onwards, the University has had no active agreements with the Russkiy Mir
Foundation and does not expect that situation to change. The University of Edinburgh’s
Princess Dashkova Centre has received no funding from the Russkiy Mir Foundation
since December 2017 when it received £12,000 as payment for outstanding funds related
to historic part funding of the salary of one junior member of staff.
Further information regarding t
he Princess Dashkova Russian Centre can be found on
the University website.
Details of the talk and any meetings held with Russian Ambassador Alexander
Yakovenko
Finally, you asked for details of the talk and any meetings held with Russian Ambassador
Alexander Yakovenko on or around 1st Dec 2017. I can confirm that Alexander
Yakovenko gave a talk at the University on 30 November 2017 on the theme of Russian
foreign policy, followed by questions from the audience. I can confirm that no meeting
was held between the then Principal and the Ambassador on or around this date.
Information regarding any other meetings which could have been arranged between the
Ambassador and University representatives could be held by a range of departments
within the University. To respond to your request fully, I would have to contact a number
of local areas within the University to establish the location of relevant information. Doing
this would cost more than £600, the limit over which the University is not required to
respond to freedom of information requests. If you were to restrict your request to a
specific area or named individual(s) within the University, the cost would be reduced.
Right to review
If you are dissatisfied with this response, you may ask the University to conduct a review
of this decision by contacting the University's Records Management Section in writing
(e.g. by letter or email) or in some other recorded form (e.g. audio or video tape). You
should describe the original request, explain your grounds for dissatisfaction, and include
an address for correspondence. You have 40 working days from receipt of this letter to
submit a review request. The contact details for the Records Management Section are at
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the top of this letter. When the review process has been completed, if you are stil
dissatisfied, you may use t
he Scottish Information Commissioner’s guidance on making
an appeal to make an appeal to the Commissioner. If you do not have access to the
Internet, please let me know and I wil provide a copy of the relevant web pages.
Privacy notice for information request applicants
The University of Edinburgh's request privacy notice, which describes how we use the
information you have supplied about yourself and your request, is published on the
University website.
Yours sincerely
David Ward
Records Management Section
If you require this letter in an alternative format, such as large print or
a coloured background, please contact the Records Management
Section on 0131 651 4099 or email xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xx.xx.xx
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Document Outline