Belarusian IT students move from keyboards to collective farms.

Starting in 2025, Belarusian IT students will have to work on farms for 5 years after they graduate. This new rule applies even to students who pay for their education, who were previously exempt from this requirement.

President Alexander Lukashenko said he made this decision after receiving many complaints from farm workers. They told him that young people today would rather work with computers than in the fields, and that they want to leave Belarus for Western countries.

Lukashenko believes that programmers are \"not adapted to life\" and lack practical skills. He questioned their ability to contribute to society, especially if the internet were to shut down, and wondered how they would pay taxes without working on farms.

After their five-year farm work obligation, programmers are free to choose their own career path. They can continue working in agriculture or seek employment in the IT departments of state-owned enterprises.

Lukashenko believes this new system provides IT graduates with more choices and opportunities. To prepare students for their farm work, education programs will be adjusted accordingly.