Utility and futility 2

Charles Clarke should have looked more closely at UK provision in Baltic studies ("'Purist' Clarke states his case", THES, May 30). He would have found the Baltic Research Unit recently set up at the University of Glasgow, as well as the many academics and postgraduates studying the Baltic in other universities.

European Union enlargement to the Baltic and other Eastern Europe states makes study of the region essential not just on utilitarian but on purist grounds.

David Smith
Department of Central and East European studies
University of Glasgow