The "Greatness and Misery" of the Higher Education in Russia
Due to its Soviet legacy, Russia has gained a reputation for having a well-trained population and efficient educational system. The facts on the ground are obviously more ambiguous, however. The veritable 'boom' of higher education and the good results of some well-known universities hide the more general fall of average performances and the devaluation of diplomas. Efforts to reform the system are meeting both structural constraints and corruption practices within the educational community. This makes a genuine assessment of Russian degrees dufficult to achiev. In addition, the 'privatization' of large sections of the education system has rendered the problem of inequality of access even more acute.
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The "Greatness and Misery" of the Higher Education in Russia
Tatiana KASTOUÉVA-JEAN
Director of the Russia/Eurasia Center, Ifri
Russia/Eurasia Center
Founded in 2005 within Ifri, the Russia/Eurasia Center conducts research and organizes debates on Russia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the South Caucasus. Its goal is to understand and anticipate the evolution of this complex and rapidly changing geographical area in order to enrich public discourse in France and Europe and to assist in strategic, political, and economic decision-making.
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