Over three years, the number of universities and their branches in Russia has decreased by almost half - by 1097 organizations. Thus, the “cleansing” of higher education in Russia, announced by the previous leadership of the Ministry of Education and Science, has actually been completed. It assumed a reduction in the number of universities by 40%, and branches by 80%. The expert community notes that now the system for assessing the quality of higher education in Russia should focus on inspections only where “the risks are highest.” Kommersant’s interlocutors do not rule out that this issue may be raised in the near future in connection with a “possible change of the cabinet of ministers.”
Kommersant obtained a departmental analytical report, from which it follows that in 2017, the Federal Service for Control in Education and Science (Rosobrnadzor) suspended the licenses of 35 higher education organizations. Admission of applicants was prohibited at 68 universities and their branches. 58 universities have been deprived of their state license for educational activities. In 125, state accreditation was suspended (in 70 of them, after eliminating violations, the license was renewed). By decision of arbitration courts, the license of 32 organizations was canceled (18 of them in Moscow).
Accreditation confirms the level of educational programs being implemented and the compliance of the content and quality of graduate training with federal state educational standards. A license gives an educational organization the right to carry out educational activities.
Thus, from 2014 to 2017, the number of universities and branches in Russia decreased by 1097 (from 2268 to 1171; data as of January 2018). The reduction most affected the branches of state and non-state universities: the number of the former decreased from 908 to 428, the latter - from 422 to 81. State parent universities also suffered losses over three years, there were 83 fewer of them (from 567 to 484), non-state ones - by 193 (from 371 to 178). From 2014 to 2017, based on the results of inspections, 2,850 cases of administrative offenses were initiated against legal entities and officials of educational organizations, who were fined a total of 48.3 million rubles.
In fact, these indicators correspond to the plans of the Ministry of Education and Science, which previously announced its intention by the end of 2016 to “complete the cleansing of higher education from universities and branches that do not provide quality education.” As Kommersant reported, in March 2015, then-Minister of Education Dmitry Livanov stated that the concept of the Federal Target Program for the Development of Education for 2016–2020 provides for a reduction in the number of universities by 40%, and their branches by 80%. “We are talking, first of all, about reducing non-state universities that provide low-quality education,” Mr. Livanov emphasized. “We have approximately 100–150 good non-state universities. They are not in danger; on the contrary, we will help them, including giving them access to state budget places. But everything related to low-quality education must leave our lives. And this is exactly what the reduction of the network of higher educational institutions means for us.” According to the minister, the Ministry of Education and Science “declared war” on weak universities.
“Of course, it is impossible to solve all the problems, but I see tangible progress in this area,” Gennady Onishchenko, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Education, told Kommersant. “When absolutely far-fetched faculties or universities are closed, where, in essence, they simply buy fake diplomas.” . According to the deputy, the problem of assessing the quality of education is now especially relevant in connection with the entry of business into education: “Rosobrnadzor has taken a serious step towards establishing order in this area.”
Now the mechanism of control and supervisory activities in higher education in Russia must change, says the rector of the Moscow City Pedagogical University Igor Remorenko: “Within the existing regulatory framework in the field of higher education, Rosobrnadzor has done a lot, but the mechanism of university accreditation itself is outdated, formal requirements that cannot speak about the quality of education as a whole. Rosobrnadzor understands that a radical restructuring of the assessment system is required.” According to him, the new system for assessing the quality of education must meet the requirements of employers. “I think that this issue should be on the agenda in 2018, especially taking into account the possible change of the cabinet of ministers,” noted Mr. Remorenko.
Earlier, Rosobrnadzor reported that Russia is preparing a large-scale reform of control and supervisory activities, which will also affect higher educational institutions. It is assumed that all universities will fall into one of four risk categories in accordance with the violations identified during the audit. The department expects that the transition to a new system will help “focus on inspections where the risks are highest.” The university community notes that the new inspection model will “save nerves” for universities with a good reputation and will lead to a further reduction in the total number of higher education institutions in Russia (see Kommersant of June 20, 2017). It was expected that the law establishing new rules for control and supervisory activities would be adopted before the end of 2017, but this has not yet happened.
Higher education in Russia will undergo a slight modernization in the near future. More precisely, the Ministry of Education decided to cut the number of budget places in most universities throughout the country. What came out of all this in the end? Let's discuss.
Basic information
Not long ago, information appeared in the media that several large higher educational institutions in the Black Earth Region lost a significant number of budget places. Today it is known that changes in the status of student admission have affected Oryol State University, Tambov and Lipetsk Technical Universities. The government of the listed universities is at a loss, because we are talking about financing a number of technical specialties and master’s degrees. In addition, the demand for graduates from these institutions increases annually among local enterprises. What is the reason for this decision of officials? Why were such undesirable changes needed now, and who else was affected by the reduction of budget places in universities for 2019-2020?
Basic information
This year, the Ministry of Education transmitted new data to universities of the Russian Federation regarding quotas for next year’s admissions campaign. The result is a reduction in the number of budget places by 10%. According to the rector of Leningrad State Technical University, the enrollment of applicants to the university in 2018-2019 is 1.18 thousand places, while next year this mark will drop to 1 thousand positions. At the same time, the reduction affected not only the humanitarian areas of education. Places were also cut in technical areas, the main ones for the university. Such, for example, as mechanical engineering. It is important to note that the mentioned industry is considered very important for the region, and has been actively developing in recent years, and therefore the need for appropriate personnel is quite logical. Needless to say that specialists in mechanical engineering are now in great demand?!
A possible reason for such an unprecedented government decision is the optimization of government funding by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. But in reality, not only the number of budget places allocated to the university, but also its own income will be significantly reduced. Most of the funds go to the “treasury” of universities as a reward for fulfilling the task set by the state - attracting and training students on a budgetary basis. 
So far, the majority of university places that were cut in 2019 are in master’s programs. According to the rectors, these are very serious changes, because this level of education is the next step towards graduate school, where the personnel required by the educational institutions themselves are trained. The result is that the reduction of places in this direction will sooner or later affect the work of the teachers themselves.
Oryol State University had to face a similar problem, which in 2016 acquired the status of a flagship university in the region. According to OSU Rector Olga Pilipenko, the reduction in places at the university was only 5%. First of all, the cuts affected construction specialties, which in recent years have ceased to be in significant demand. The economic and legal sectors also came under the modernization of higher education, although within the framework of reasonable optimization. According to the leadership of OSU, the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation will never implement such solutions without strict monitoring of the needs of the labor market.
Tambov Technical University also lost some of its budget places, mostly in the master's program. The changes of 2019 affected jurisprudence, while in fact the number of budget places upon admission increased.
Previously, the largest university in the region, Voronezh University, also faced the problem of reducing budget places. Even this year, the institution has not received a single state place in several disciplines, for example, in the Faculty of Journalism.
Educational reality
Based on the approved order of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation dated January of this year, the number of budget places in universities for the 2019-2020 academic year will be 549,478, while now this mark is 601,169 places. The state provides the largest number of places for the bachelor's program - 312,440. 77,110 places are allocated for specialists, while for master's programs - 128,848. The reason for this decision is the global decrease in funding for master's programs (by almost 40%). 
What the future reality of obtaining free higher education in Russia will be is still unknown, but, according to analysts, similar solutions will force modern students to be more diligent in their own education. It is possible that soon free education at universities will be provided only to the best.
This year, the reduction in enrollment in humanitarian specialties continued in favor of an increase in technical ones.
The admissions campaign at universities has actually started, despite the fact that many applicants have not yet received their certificates and Unified State Examination results. Graduates of previous years submit documents to universities. This year, enrollment has decreased: at first glance, insignificantly from 16,056 places in 2016 to 15,806 this year, but this is the overall figure. If you look only at bachelor’s degrees, universities will admit 650 fewer people, but enrollment in master’s programs has increased. Contract groups have always been an option for those who did not receive funding. This year, tuition fees have increased by 30%. At KFU, for example, a year ago the most budget specialty cost 64 thousand rubles a year, this year it costs 102 thousand. Details are in the material of Realnoe Vremya.
Lawyers and linguists are needed less than engineers. Demand for artists is stable
Higher education continues its policy of reducing humanities specialties. This year, “Economics and Management”, “Jurisprudence”, “Political Sciences”, “Media and Information and Librarianship”, “Service and Tourism”, “Linguistics and Literary Studies” were hit. At the same time, economics, international relations, especially their linguistic direction, and the Faculty of Law are in great demand.
But for technical areas, on the contrary, admission targets have been increased: for “Information Security” by 30%, “Chemistry”, “Electronics, Radio Electronics and Systems” by 16%, “Physical Education and Sports” by 9%, “Earth Sciences” by 8%, “Electricity and heat energy” by 3%.
The admission targets for “Industrial Ecology and Biotechnology”, “Health Science and Preventive Medicine”, “Nuclear Energy and Technology”, “Performing Arts and Literary Creativity” remained unchanged.
“The judiciary, the prosecutor’s office, the investigative committee - bachelors cannot hold positions there, so enrollment in master’s programs has been increased,” explains Riyaz Minzaripov. Photo by Roman Khasaev
Enrollment for a bachelor's degree (which is what school graduates are most interested in) this year was reduced from 9,957 places to 9,307. But enrollment for a master's program increased from 5,002 to 5,252. This is due to the demographic situation, the number of 11th grade graduates - their is becoming smaller and with increasing interest in continuing master's studies.
This is due to where the students are going to work: the judiciary, the prosecutor's office, the investigative committee. Bachelors cannot hold positions there, so enrollment in master’s programs has been increased,” explains KFU First Vice-Rector Riyaz Minzaripov.
Considering that 14.5 thousand people graduated from schools in 2017, the competition for universities will be 1.6 people per place.
KFU raised prices, and the medical university gives 70% of places to target students
Contract groups have always been an option for those who did not receive funding. This year, tuition fees have increased significantly, especially at KFU. If last year the price tag started from 64 thousand rubles per year, then this year from 102 thousand. The maximum cost of training for a bachelor's degree will be 169 thousand rubles, for a master's degree - 177 thousand, for a postgraduate course - 129 thousand rubles.
This decision was made by the founder - the Ministry of Education. We must stick to these prices. To be honest, we are also perplexed. This is normal for Moscow, but for the regions there is very big growth,” says KFU Vice-Rector Riyaz Minzaripov. However, this decision has been prepared for a long time. Let us remember that last year a scandal erupted around cuts in the budgets of universities and, as a consequence, budget-funded places.
This year, KFU will accept 4,980 people for budget places (a decrease of 382 places), of which 1,481 are given to master’s students.
In general, KSMU will accept about 1,300 people, including foreigners. Photo by Maxim Platonov
Kazan State Medical University is also reducing admission numbers by 2.5%. However, Rector Alexey Sozinov clarifies, in terms of the number of future students, this is not so much - 11, and this will not affect the accessibility of education, he believes. In general, KSMU will accept about 1,300 people, including foreigners. Another thing is alarming: 71% of the places are reserved for “target students”, another 10% of KSMU, like all universities, is allocated for “special categories” - orphans, disabled people.
You can calculate how much is left for the so-called general competition. We work with 11 constituent entities of the Russian Federation, as well as with the Federal Penitentiary Service, of course, most of the target set is allocated for the Republic of Tatarstan. A special feature of this year's target set is a special set for single-industry towns - Chelny, Elabuga, Nizhnekamsk, Zelenodolsk, Chistopol, Kamskie Polyany. Separate quotas have been allocated for them,” says Alexey Sozinov.
The cost of training in "med" has increased, depending on the specialties, from 4 to 14%.
KSASU shows “responsibility to the Almighty,” and the Institute of Culture is preparing to close Surikovsky
Kazan State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering will recruit 1,600 people. The university conducted an entire campaign to attract students from neighboring regions. KSASU keeps tuition prices down - the cost is about 80 thousand rubles per year.
Conventionally, training in Samara costs approximately 160-180 thousand. We would rather accept two for 80 than one for 160, although that would be easier. But there is such a thing as social responsibility, and the position before the Almighty should also be somehow clear,” explains rector Rashit Nizamov.
Kazan State Agrarian University can also boast of relatively low tuition costs.
Probably, the cultural institute hopes to replace the Kazan branch of the Surikov Institute, which soon threatens to cease to exist due to lack of funding. Photo by Maxim Platonov
Considering that the majority of applicants are from the villages, we have set the minimum cost of training - from 60 to 110 thousand rubles,” says rector Dzhaudat Faizrakhmanov.
The Kazan State Institute of Culture will accept 162 full-time students and 74 correspondence students on the budget. Prices for commercial groups, the rector notes, are also “quite high.
I would like to repeat that the prices are set by the founder, and the highest price is 175 thousand rubles. But compared to Moscow universities, this is more modest. We asked the founder to reduce prices and were able to achieve this only for the correspondence department and graduate school,” says Rifkat Yusupov, rector of KGIK.
This year, the university is opening new specialties: “monumental decorative art”, “animation film and computer graphics director and painting”. Probably, the university hopes to replace the Kazan branch of the Surikov Institute, which soon threatens to cease to exist due to lack of funding.
KAI, KHTI and Energo are fighting for “high-scoring students”
The leading technical universities of Tatarstan are energy, KAI and KKhTI. Due to the demand for these specialties, the target numbers for admission to budget places are being increased. Moreover, the requirements for graduates are also increasing - the passing score is growing.
I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the competition seems to be decreasing, fewer applications are being submitted to us, and the average score is increasing - this shows that graduates are consciously choosing a university and applicants with low Unified State Exam scores are being cut off, they do not even try to submit documents, says Alexander Leontyev, vice-rector on academic work at Kazan State Energy University.
Leontyev adds that high-scoring students at the university are awarded an increased scholarship - 15 thousand rubles.
KSTU named after Tupolev (KAI) will accept 1012 people on a budget, including a new specialty - nanomaterials. Photo by Maxim Platonov
KSTU named after. Tupolev (KAI) will accept 1,012 people on the budget, including a new specialty - nanomaterials. Here they also pay attention to the fact that they are waiting for “good applicants”.
The entire industry is aimed at counteracting sanctions, so we need smart guys who can create technology,” says Vice-Rector for Educational Activities Nikolai Malivanov.
The Kazan National Research Technological University (KKhTI) also notes that they are “waiting for medalists” and are ready to add 10 points to them upon admission. 1,700 people will be accepted for bachelor's degrees and 2,068 for master's degrees.
The demand for technical specialties is growing, children have a different attitude towards their education - they study and hire tutors. We will fight for high-scoring students,” says Sergei Yushko, acting rector of KKhTI.
“No need to vacuum”, or why the Ministry of Education does not see a tragedy in the reduction of budget places
University management notes that the “quality” of applicants is growing, and the average score this year will be slightly higher than last year. By reducing places, more capable graduates will be admitted to universities. “There is no need to vacuum,” the rector of KSUA Nizamov figuratively put it, meaning that there is no need to recruit everyone into universities. Deputy Minister of Education Andrei Pominov does not see any particular tragedy in the reduction of budget places; he recalled that in Soviet times no more than 18% of all school graduates entered universities.
Naturally, it is easier to select 18 people out of a hundred than 40-50 people. As Rashit Kurbanovich put it, “no need to vacuum.” There is some truth in this too. On the other hand, the quality of graduates is growing; they passed very, very well this year,” says Deputy Minister of Education Andrei Pominov.
The quality of graduates is growing, they passed very, very well this year,” says Andrey Pominov. Photo mon.tatarstan.ru
One more interesting detail should be noted: the increase in the average Unified State Examination score is also due to the fact that weak and average schoolchildren simply do not make it to the 11th grade, preferring to receive professional education in colleges and technical schools. 14.5 thousand people graduated from the 11th grade in 2017, 19.5 thousand of their peers decided to complete their studies after the 9th grade.
Daria Turtseva
Any society needs highly qualified specialists: doctors, scientists, engineers, programmers. Gifted children from the outback cannot always afford to study at a university; not everyone has the money to live in Moscow or another prestigious city. Supporting talented applicants through free education is a strategic task of a thinking state.
Budget places
Teaching a student for five years is an expensive business. It is necessary to pay for the work of dozens of teachers and laboratory assistants, maintain a huge educational building, and provide students with books and teaching materials. The collapse of the Soviet Union led to the fact that the state cannot teach a lot of young people for free. And there is no particular need for specialists: it is possible to pump oil and easily sell it on the world market with a small number of professionals. But it makes no sense to produce more doctors if there is no money to pay them. And the number of hospitals is decreasing. The reasons why any government reduces the number of preferential educational places and free education in general:
- The terrible state of the economy.
- Weak interest in educated people.
- Corruption and the fight against it: if there is no free education, there are no abuses in this area.
- Raw material economy.
Advantages of budget training:
- Children from families with limited income tend to enroll in free places. This gives a unique opportunity to an ordinary teenager with good abilities to realize himself in life, find a good job and benefit the Motherland.
- The teacher tightens his demands on the student on a budget. The student studies diligently and does not blackmail the mentor with the phrase: “I feed you, I pay you. Give me a high score, otherwise I’ll leave!”
- There is always more competition for a budget place. And this increases the quality selection of future students.
You hold on!
The latest news is disappointing; politics determines the state of the economy. The harsh capitalist world is not going to lift economic sanctions. Investments are bypassing Russia. Without dollar injections, business is slowly and surely going to the bottom. And the most popular brand of oil is trading at around forty dollars instead of the desired one hundred and thirty. The state is slowly eating through its reserves; all areas are experiencing financial starvation. There are not enough funds for pensions, salaries for teachers and doctors. And in Russia, a new security unit is being created - the National Guard. It will not be easy to feed four hundred thousand selected men. Higher education found itself in a similar situation. There is less and less money to finance state-funded places in universities.
Specifics
There is no official reduction in budget places for students for the 2017 academic year. But at a meeting between D. Medvedev and representatives of science and higher education, this issue was raised. This was at the very end of July 2016. The final, official government decision will not come soon. There are a number of reasons for this:
- The new school year is still far away. More precisely, before the start of student enrollment for 2017-2018.
- In September there are elections for a new State Duma in Russia.
- Nobody wants a surge in protest sentiment. And there are a lot of reasons and reasons for this.
- It is difficult to determine the level of inflation next year, but a reduction of budget places by 40% is the least of their probable evils.
At the beginning of July, the government approved the strategy, tactics and approaches on this delicate issue. They can reduce not only the number of budget places, but also scholarships for students. Everything will be cut: researchers, teachers, funding for experiments and technical developments. And the trouble is that not only the amount of money is being reduced, but also the value of the national currency itself. After all, in a year the ruble may lose a third of its value. Teachers will feel it in their pockets when they walk into the store.
Positive notes
Even earlier, the authorities informed the public about changes in the work of universities and new admission rules. One of the points stated a reduction in the number of budget places. But there was an emphatic amendment: we are cutting some places, adding others. The government will definitely reduce the number of paid places in economics and legal professions. And there is a justification for this: a lot of lawyers and economists have appeared recently. It was planned to compensate for this decrease by a large number of budget places in medical and pedagogical universities. But whether this will actually happen, time will tell. Next year there will be no special benefits for applicants from Crimea; the passing score for the Unified State Exam will rise slightly. Perhaps those who are already studying in state-funded places will not be touched.
Here is a recent interview with an official from the Ministry of Education, in which he says with a smile that there will be no reduction in budget places in universities:
He even promises a moratorium on such cuts in the next three years. And there is absolutely no need to worry for those who have decided to throw in their lot with the army and other law enforcement agencies. In military universities, education is free, and subsequent employment is guaranteed. After all, Russia will always need soldiers and military personnel: empires cannot exist without wars and a large army.
To the epigraph:
Money can buy a diploma, but not knowledge. The prestige of a university and high grades are not a guarantee of a great career in the future!
