Abstract ♦ The article analyzes the contemporary challenges faced by both state-run and private institutions of higher education in Russia. In the recent years, they have been working under the conditions of permanent changes in the normative regulation of higher education. Not infrequently, the Ministry of Education and Science has introduced new requirements — before the pertaining standards, norms and indicators had been officially approved. This practice created an environment of uncertainty, instability and aggression, which the universities had to respond to by taking preventive action.
The Ministry has introduced a system of monitoring the efficiency of higher education, with two surveys so far held in 2012 and 2013. The author defines this monitoring procedure as “the moment of truth”, although its indicators and efficiency criteria are undoubtedly questionable. It is now obvious that a number of both state-run and private universities and their branches do show poor or very poor educational performance.
The Ministry conceived the monitoring procedure as a tool to reduce the number of institutions of higher education. Accordingly, a significant cut can be expected in the numbers of university faculty.
The newly-adopted law “On Education in the Russian Federation” moved the aspirantura (postgraduate study for the degree of Candidate) out of the category of post-university education, incorporating it as the 3rd and final stage of higher education. However, no standards have been suggested for this new status of the aspirantura, which, in effect, prevents universities even from accepting applications from prospective aspirants, let alone planning the educational process.
Implementing the new Procedure for organization and maintenance of educational activities in accordance with the degree programs of higher education, together with a new version of Federal Educational Standards (3+) will involve a long process of adapting already developed and approved degree programs, study plans, course syllabi, internship programs, teaching aids and educational materials, as well as grading rules and systems, to suit the new requirements.
Taking personality development (vospitanie) out of the list of indicators for the state accrediting procedure is of itself a big problem for universities and other institutions of higher education. The development of a youth’s personality is the most important thing Russia needs at the moment. The author’s focus is on personality development, and not on education only. New social and economic environment, recently followed by a change in international political situation, requires new theoretical approaches to developing a student’s personality.
The author concludes by stating that education is a mirror which reflects the whole diversity of the Russian society, with its specific mentality radically differing from the one reflected in the educational systems of the West.
Keywords: education in Russia, Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, monitoring procedure, aspirantura, post-graduate education, Master’s programs, levels of education, Federal Educational Standards, competence-based approach, personality development at a university, vospitanie, Moscow University for the Humanities.
Ilinskiy Igor Mikhailovich, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor, Rector, Moscow University for the Humanities; President, National Union of Nongovernmental Institutions of Higher Education; President, Union of the Nongovernmental Higher Education Institutions of Moscow and Moscow Region. Postal address: 5 Yunosti St., Moscow, Russian Federation, 111395. Tel.: +7 (499) 374-78-78. E-mail:
iilinskiy@mosgu.ru
Citation: Ilinskiy I. M. (2014) Rossiiskie vuzy na perelomnom etape [Russian Institutions of Higher Education at the Critical Stage]. Znanie. Ponimanie. Umenie, no. 3, pp. 5–17. (In Russ.).
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