Eastern promise

We professors of the School of Slavonic and East European Studies of the University of London, wish to reassure Professor Carsten and his co-signatories (THES, October 3) that we have no intention of allowing "our important field of study to be damaged permanently".

As a result of the financial crisis within higher education the school has a shortfall of Pounds 300,000 a year. Inevitably this leads to the loss of posts, but the school is determined not to diminish the teaching of the languages, literature and culture of Central and Eastern Europe and of the former USSR.

On the contrary. the restructuring we are carrying out will enable us to respond effectively to the challenges posed by the current changes in that area.

Dennis Deletant, Geoffrey Hosking Lindsey Hughes, Arnold McMillin Robert Service, SSEES, London