RUSSIA: Major new investment in higher education

The Russian government is to allocate up to 137 billion rubles (US$4.1 billion) to the development of education from 2011-15 under a new federal target programme. Most of the money is expected to be spent on strengthening universities.

On the cards for higher education under the new programme, approved on 22 November, is the introduction of new technologies, improving the quality of teaching staff, and upgrading the material and technical infrastructure of the country's largest federal universities.

The government believes that implementation of the new programme will help to reduce universities' current financial dependence on public funds.

Many Russian universities continue to rely totally on state funding and have no stimulus for further development. Unlike Western universities, many institutions also experience a lack of well-equipped research laboratories and scientific development, and are still unable to raise revenues that could stimulate the whole educational process.

Andrei Fursenko, the Minister of Education, said most of the funds for the programme would be allocated from the federal budget as well as from regional budgets and the remainder, an estimated at 17 billion rubles (US$500 million), would come from extra -budgetary resources.

"As part of the target programme we are planning to implement a public-private partnership, which is expected to allow universities to reduce their dependence on state funds," Fursenko said.

In addition, significant funds will be allocated to increased salaries for teaching staff and scholarships for students, which will rise by an average of 6.5%.

Increased salaries are expected to help to solve a serious problem for Russian education - corruption. Average salaries for Russian teachers and professors are up to US$800-$1,000 per month and are among the lowest in Europe, contributing to the growth of corruption, especially during entrance and traditional examinations.

Some experts, including Efim Galitsky of the Public Opinion Foundation, one of Russia's leading socio-political think tanks, believe raising wages will not lead to the total eradication of corruption.

"It is virtually impossible to eradicate corruption in Russian higher education in the short term," Galitsky said. "However, one of the most efficient ways to combat it is to eliminate incentives for bribery."

As part of the programme, particular attention will be paid to support for talented young professionals through the establishment of special centres at federal universities, and to distance learning schools at research universities.

The government also plans to focus on the training of specialists, who are currently in high demand in Russia. More than 300 new vocational training programmes in fields such as energy efficiency, nuclear technology and pharmaceuticals are expected to be developed.

Alexander Sigov, head of the Moscow State Institute of Radio Engineering, Electronics and Automatics, said: "The implementation of the new state programme is very good news for the whole of Russian higher and secondary education. This measure is expected to allow us to modernise the material and technical base of Russian universities.

"We also hope that this funding will help to improve the quality of secondary education by raising the current level of teaching, which remains low, as is reflected by the present level of knowledge of university applicants," said Sigov.