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U.S. Russia Foundation

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U.S. Russia Foundation
Founded2008 (2008)
Location
Origins32nd G8 summit
Area served
United States, Russia
Key people
Mark G. Promar (president)
Websiteusrf.us

The U.S. Russia Foundation (USRF) is an American non-profit organization whose aim is to promote human rights in Russia. Its establishment was announced by president George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin in 2006, and it was registered in 2008-2009. Its focus was on exchanges between students and researched from universities in the United States and Russia. It was shut down by the Russian undesirable organizations law in 2015.

History

The establishment of the U.S Russia Foundation was announced by presidents George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin at the 32nd G8 summit in 2006.[1][2] It was an outgrowth of the The U.S. Russia Investment Fund.[1][3] It was registered in the United States in 2008 and in Russia in 2009.[1] Its founding president was Dr Mark G. Promar, now a Visiting Research Fellow at the King's Russian Institute of King's College London.[4] Ambassador John Beyrle served on its board of directors.[5]

It ran the EURECA Program, a university program for US and Russian students.[6] The pilot program was with students from the University of Maryland, College Park and Lobachevsky State University.[7] With the Yegor Gaidar Foundation, it also ran the Gaidar Summer Leadership Program, whereby Russian students spent two weeks at Purdue University to learn about enterpreneurship and start-up companies,[8] and the Improving Economics Instruction, where Russian economists spent two weeks in American universities.[6] It also ran the Economics and Entrepreneurship Experts Forum Program, which encouraged scholarships between American and Russian researchers in economics and entrepreneurship, and the Legal Education Exchange Program, which aimed to share pedagogical methods among American and Russian university instructors.[6]

By 2015, its CEO, Mark Pomar, was denied entry into Russia.[9] Meanwhile, the organization was declared "undesirable" by the 2015 Russian undesirable organizations law.[10][11] Indeed, the Office of the Prosecutor General of Russia, chaired by Yury Chaika, suggested it posed "a threat to the foundations of the constitutional system of the Russian Federation and the state‘s security."[9] The United States Department of State (USDS) responded by saying, "We reject the contention that the Foundation’s activities constitute a threat to Russia’s security. On the contrary, this designation is another deliberate step to further isolate the Russian people from the rest of the world.".[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c "USRF History". The U.S. Russia Foundation. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
  2. ^ a b Toner, Mark C. (December 4, 2015). "Designation Under Russia's "Undesirables" Law of the U.S.-Russia Foundation". United States Department of State. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
  3. ^ "U.S.-Russia Foundation for Economic Advancement and Rule of Law: STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY". United States Department of State. July 15, 2006. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
  4. ^ "Dr Mark Pomar". King's College London. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
  5. ^ "THE HONORABLE JOHN BEYRLE: Board Director, US-Russia Foundation". Eurasia Foundation. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
  6. ^ a b c "About USRF". The U.S. Russia Foundation. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
  7. ^ "ENHANCING UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND ENTREPRENEURIAL CAPACITY". American Councils for International Education. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
  8. ^ "Leadership program for Russian students comes to Purdue this summer". Purdue University. July 11, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
  9. ^ a b "STATEMENT BY THE USRF BOARD OF DIRECTORS". The U.S. Russia Foundation. December 4, 2015. Retrieved October 28, 2016. Despite the unwarranted action of Russian authorities to deny USRF CEO Mark Pomar entry into Russia earlier this year - for which we have requested but never received any explanation - Russian government officials repeatedly assured USRF that its programs, which have largely promoted the growth of entrepreneurship and partnerships between US and Russian universities, were welcome and enjoyed official support. In its statement today adding USRF to the growing list of "undesirable organizations," the Office of the Prosecutor General stated that the activities of USRF "pose a threat to the foundations of the constitutional system of the Russian Federation and the states security."
  10. ^ Hartog, Eva (December 29, 2015). "Unwanted and Shunned: Russia Cracks Whip on Foreign NGOs". The Moscow Times. Retrieved October 28, 2016. The law's latest victims: two foundations set up by U.S. billionaire philanthropist George Soros and the U.S.-Russia Foundation for Economic Advancement and the Rule of Law, or USRF.
  11. ^ Ovsyannikova, Anastasia (August 22, 2016). "Russia Bans More International Organizations". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved October 28, 2016. Previously, five other organizations, either US donors or capacity building groups, had been designated as "undesirable." These include the National Endowment for Democracy, Open Society Foundation, Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation, US-Russia Foundation for Economic Advancement and the Rule of Law, and National Democratic Institute for International Affairs.
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