Chair of the Union of Rectors of Saratov Region, SSU Rector Aleksei Chumachenko has taken part in a meeting of the Russian Union of Rectors. It was held under the chairmanship of the head of the RUR, Rector of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Academician Victor Sadovnichii at Moscow State University on April 19.

The meeting of the union was devoted to discussing the tasks that Russian President Vladimir Putin set for higher education. ‘The issues of the development of the education system always occupy an important place on the state agenda, and we are aware of the responsibility of the higher school, the rector's corps to society and the state,’ Victor Sadovnichii addressed his colleagues.

The event was attended by Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation Andrei Fursenko, Minister of Higher Education and Science and Valerii Falkov, President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Gennadii Krasnikov, Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education, and Culture Lilia Gumerova, Chair of the State Duma Committee on Science and Higher Education Sergei Kabyshev, as well as rectors of Russian universities.

In his report, the President of the RUR Victor Sadovnichii stressed that the higher school and the rector's community are fully aware of the responsibility that lies on the higher education system today. ‘Education is one of the key resources necessary for the successful development of the country in modern conditions, to ensure its national sovereignty. We have everything necessary for success, for further improvement of the higher education system. This is a positive long–term experience of the domestic – Soviet and Russian – higher school, which is based on fundamental education and whose achievements are recognized all over the world. This is the experience of the last decade, from which we have already learned the necessary lessons: we know what needs to be preserved and what needs to be abandoned. This is the professionalism and time–tested unity of the rector's corps, our constant readiness to work for the benefit of Russia, for the sake of the future.’ You can find the full text of his speech at the RUR meeting here.

Assistant to the President of Russia Andrei Fursenko and Russian Minister of Higher Education and Science Valerii Falkov spoke at the meeting. The minister made a number of proposals on the formation of a national system of higher education. In particular, the Minister proposed the introduction of basic higher education for a period of study from four to six years instead of bachelor's degree and specialty.

‘It is obvious that education should keep a balance between fundamental and applied fields of knowledge in the conditions of changing tasks of the economy and the labour market. At the same time, taking into account the instructions of the President of Russia, the same program can be implemented in different terms in accordance with the goals and needs of employers. It is necessary to differentiate the terms of training specialists with higher education depending on the nature of their future professional activity,’ Valerii Falkov said.

When implementing programs of basic higher education, the principles of interdisciplinarity should be preserved, practice-oriented approaches to personnel training should be strengthened. The terms of study for a particular program should be jointly set by universities, employers and regulators. There should be no monopoly.

The Minister of Higher Education and Science paid special attention to the transformation of the master's degree into a specialized advanced level of higher education with a period of study of one to two years. This level of training presupposes in-depth industry training, profilisation of education. Only persons with a basic higher education will be able to enroll in specialized higher education. It provides for the introduction of types of academic and professional specialized education (the latter type can be co-financed, including at the expense of individual companies and industries).

Postgraduate studies in the new education system will be allocated to a separate level, which will be aimed at training scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel. Only persons with a basic higher education with a period of study of at least five years or a specialized higher education will be able to enroll in postgraduate studies.

Assistant to the President of Russia Andrei Fursenko drew attention to the fact that when creating a national system of higher education, it is necessary to take into account the opinion of employers, students, be in dialogue with the teaching staff, maintain a balance of fundamental knowledge and practical work in the new system of higher education.

The meeting also discussed the expansion of the use of the most representative educational ranking in the world – the Three Missions of the University Moscow International ranking. It is proposed to use its results to assess the effectiveness of higher education organizations and management decision-making.

Chair of the Council of Rectors of Saratov Region, SSU Rector Aleksei Chumachenko noted the importance of such discussions and the inclusion of the rector's community in solving serious tasks set by Russian President Vladimir Putin. ‘A number of key proposals for the transformation of the national system of higher education were made at the meeting, which became food for reflections of university rectors. It is important that all these proposals are based on the ideas expressed by the head of state: the need to preserve the educational traditions of the country, the fundamental nature of domestic education, interdisciplinarity, as well as successful modern practices. The Council of Rectors of Universities of the Saratov region will develop the proposed approaches of higher education, focusing on the request and priorities of state policy.’