For half a year, the HSE investigated cases of harassment of orientalist Maksim Tseluiko towards female students and chose to leave the teacher at the university.

Four female students of the Higher School of Economics who study in the educational program “Oriental Studies” reported to the administration of the university in the summer of 2020 about cases of harassment by teacher Maxim Tseluiko. About it writes Doxa edition with reference to the words of female students.

Presumably, the teacher repeatedly established informal relationships with female students, invited them to the movies, invited them home, and wrote messages with unambiguous sexual connotations.

During the trial, the students testified about their experiences of harassment four times in personal meetings and twice in writing, sending a letter to the administration and in explanatory notes.

As part of the internal proceedings, a confrontation and a number of closed meetings were held at the university, as a result of which Tseluiko continued to teach at the HSE as a staff member.

One of those who communicated with the students was the vice-rector of the university, Evgeny Artemov, who is responsible for security. This meeting of the girls was recorded on a dictaphone. The vice-rector did not begin to talk about the dismissal, but urged the students to warn other students, “so that there simply would be no contacts with this teacher.”

“Word of mouth is very strong. Little by little I will push him down, ”said Artyomov. He noted that the female students “do not have any tragedy,” and “life does not end there.”

DOXA’s editors sent inquiries to the Oriental Studies EP and the university’s press service about the current status of HSE’s cooperation with Maxim Tseluiko. On July 5, the head of the program Ulyana Strizhak said: “Today the situation is as follows – to my request to the personnel committee of the Faculty of World Economy and World Politics, an answer was received that MS Tseluiko continues to work under a contract as a full-time employee”.