Federal universities will spend money themselves

The government approved a bill that regulates the activities of federal universities, Kommersant writes today.

Such a document will soon be entered in the State Duma.

Under the bill, federal universities should draw up an elite of Russian universities, will be created in the form of autonomous institutions, which will give them broad financial independence.

In addition, the elite will be approved only by the presidential decree, and the rector will be appointed by the government. The finances of such universities will be controlled by officials of various levels.

The status of autonomous institutions will allow federal universities to receive state funding in the form of subsidies and manage money at their discretion. They will also be able to open independent bank accounts and create small enterprises. Federal universities will be able to independently determine the requirements for students and teach them under their own programs. The elite will also introduce the right to issue diplomas of its own model and assign scientific degrees.

Budget financing of federal universities will be much higher than that of other state universities.

At the moment, the Siberian, South and Far Eastern federal universities have been created. On June 23, the government approved the creation of two of them in Moscow - on the basis of the Physical Institute (MEPhI) and the Institute of Steel and Loals (MISIS).