On July 8, 2025, Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office designated Yale University as an “undesirable organization.”

Passed in May 2015, the “undesirable organization” law (Article 20.33 of Russia’s Code of Administrative Offences) provides Russia’s Prosecutor General and Foreign Ministry with the power to penalize foreign or international institutions if they are deemed to present a “threat to the defensive capabilities or security of the state, to the public order, or to the health of the population.” Entities registered as undesirable organizations are banned from operating in Russia. Non-governmental organizations in Russia that work with or are supported by organizations classified as undesirable can be charged with violating the law. Since the law was passed, a growing number of foreign organizations that have been publicly critical of human rights conditions in Russia have been registered under this title. Those affiliated with an “undesirable” organization could face fines, restrictions on activities, travel bans, or jail sentences of up to six years.

Yale is the third U.S. university to be designated “undesirable,” following Bard College in 2021 (see report) and Brigham Young University in 2025 (see report). In its press release, the Prosecutor General’s office accused Yale of sponsoring anti-Russian activities and “violating the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation.” The office claimed that Yale’s World Fellows Program trained “opposition leaders of foreign countries,” and pointed to the the Anti-Corruption Foundation, established in 2011 by World Fellows alumnus and Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, as a result of the methods taught in the program. The “undesirable” designation prohibits Yale from operating in Russia and means that individuals working in Russia on behalf of Yale are subject to up to six years of imprisonment.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about a decision by national policymakers to exclude a higher education institution, its students and faculty, from engagement within a state, apparently based on political or ideological (rather than academic) considerations. State authorities have a responsibility not to interfere with the peaceful exercise of the rights to academic freedom and freedom of association, so long as those activities are undertaken peacefully and responsibly. Attempts to limit international academic exchange undermine academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and democratic society generally.

Sources:
https://epp.genproc.gov.ru/ru/gprf/mass-media/news/main/e5834701/
https://yaledailynews.com/articles/russia-blacklists-yale-points-to-jackson-school-educated-kremlin-critics
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/08/russia-blacklists-yale-00442613