Education under control

Legislators have built universities into the vertical of power

In the near future, Russian universities will be governed by “four hands.” According to the amendments to the law “On Higher and Postgraduate Professional Education,” which domestic legislators adopted in the first reading last Friday, in addition to the rector, universities, academies and institutes will also have a president.

The new system will actually duplicate the approach being implemented today to managing the property of research institutes and centers. The only difference is that in the research institute system the president carries out scientific leadership, and the director is engaged in financial and economic activities. And in universities, the duties of a manager will be performed by the president.

Remembering the sad experience of the Russian State University for the Humanities, legislators hastened to insure themselves against the uncontrolled interference of oligarchs in education matters. The executive authorities will nominate the candidacy of the president themselves, although they will then undergo an approval procedure with the academic council of the university. “Despite the apparent democracy, the current norms open up the possibility of imposing decisions on the staff of an educational institution that meet the requirements of lobbying groups, sometimes very far from the interests of education,” says the explanatory note to the bill from the State Duma Committee on Education and Science.

In addition, parliamentarians also agreed to change the procedure for appointing rectors. An employment contract will be concluded with the rector for a period of up to five years. If a university is deprived of state accreditation, the rector is relieved of his position. In addition, if previously the rector was first elected by the academic council and then his candidacy was approved by the relevant ministry, then according to the new rules, state approval in the form of certification must take place before the elections. To avoid unpleasant incidents. Let us remind you that so far such an incident has happened only once, and also at the Russian State University for the Humanities. The elected rector Valery Minaev was never approved by the executive branch. For a long time, acting directors worked side by side at the university. a rector appointed by the ministry, and a rector voted for by the academic council.

Kirill VASILENKO