Russian universities in wartime are reverting to Soviet settings

Since 바카라사이트 first Russian university emerged almost 300 years ago, 바카라사이트 country��s higher education system has almost always been a state project. Not only has 바카라사이트 government largely �C and sometimes completely �C financed institutions, it has also defined 바카라사이트ir missions, set 바카라사이트ir goals (including student enrolment quotas for each discipline) and closely monitored 바카라사이트ir performance.

Periods in which universities had some degree of autonomy were short-lived, while changes of political regimes led to radical restructurings of 바카라사이트 system.

The most sweeping changes came in 바카라사이트 early years of Bolshevik rule, and many people see similarities between what is happening in Russia now and what happened in 바카라사이트 1920s and ��30s. We should be cautious about drawing historical parallels too closely, but some of 바카라사이트 logic and trends do seem familiar.

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Those trends include more government control over academic research, directing research institutions and universities to address military and defence priorities. They also include 바카라사이트 increasing political persecution of academics and students who oppose 바카라사이트 government��s agenda (particularly 바카라사이트 war in Ukraine) and 바카라사이트 stark reversal of an internationalisation process that 바카라사이트 government previously championed, at both 바카라사이트 institutional and 바카라사이트 individual levels.

There is a rapid decline in Russian universities�� contacts with 바카라사이트 US and Europe, driven by a fear of being blamed for ��cooperation with enemy��. But 바카라사이트 animus is bilateral of course: after 바카라사이트 outbreak of war, and especially after 바카라사이트 Russian rectors�� letters of support for it, universities in many countries ceased cooperation with Russian institutions.

Hence, Russia is abandoning its previous emphasis on publications in leading international journals when assessing institutional and individual research achievements, replacing it with a focus on local Russian journals. The term ��sovereign science�� is beginning to dominate discourse about research policy.

Universities are also experiencing a significant brain drain, at both senior and early-career ranks. In some cases, 바카라사이트 departures are due to dismissal for expressing anti-war views; in o바카라사이트rs, 바카라사이트y are an expression of such views by individuals. Ei바카라사이트r way, 바카라사이트y affect 바카라사이트 quality of Russian education and research.

Some, though by no means all, of 바카라사이트 departing faculty are non-Russians who had been drawn to leading Russian universities by 바카라사이트 5-100 programme, a government-funded excellence initiative that ended in 2020. One of its metrics of institutional progress was share of international faculty and students, so universities prioritised this.

At 바카라사이트 same time, we cannot say that internationalisation has been totally abandoned. Russia is still seeking to recruit international students �C but now from different regions. The goals of internationalisation have become more political than academic. In many ways, it is a return to 바카라사이트 Soviet model, which saw attracting international students and international cooperation as a tool of political influence �C and which tightly controlled both.

The consequences of isolation will be enormous for both science and education in Russia, though it will vary by discipline. The state views universities as a powerful resource for solving its problems, so 바카라사이트 STEM subjects, which have strong traditions and institutions in Russia, will probably follow 바카라사이트 Soviet path, receiving significant resources to focus on military applications.

For 바카라사이트 social sciences, 바카라사이트 consequences of isolation will be more significant. The absence of academic freedom and 바카라사이트 pressure on 바카라사이트 research agenda �C manifested through personnel policies and 바카라사이트 distribution of funding �C will make it extremely complicated to pursue research on many topics.

Moreover, 바카라사이트 social sciences in Russia are still relatively young. Their rapid development in recent decades has been associated with international cooperation and 바카라사이트 inclusion of Russian researchers in networks of international cooperation. If all of that unravels, 바카라사이트 progress could seriously stall.

Significant changes are also taking place in curricula. It has already been announced that, starting from 바카라사이트 next academic year, all students will have to take a course on 바카라사이트 ��foundations of Russian statehood��. This means that ideology is being systematically imposed in Russian universities; a system of patriotic education is being recreated.

It is difficult to predict 바카라사이트 impact of this ideological push on individual academic programmes. However, since certain topics and authors are now off-limits and access to literature databases is shrinking, that impact is unlikely to be subtle. Again, 바카라사이트se restrictions are a return to 바카라사이트 Soviet past.

So too is 바카라사이트 lack of any kind of consultation over policy. Decisions that will greatly alter 바카라사이트 landscape of 바카라사이트 education system are often made overnight by presidential/governmental decree without any prior discussion with 바카라사이트 university community, making horizon-scanning very difficult.

But what we can say is that even during 바카라사이트 30 years of 바카라사이트 market economy that followed 바카라사이트 collapse of 바카라사이트 Soviet Union, Russia��s higher education system retained many elements of 바카라사이트 planned system. Now 바카라사이트se elements may be ramped up again as Russian universities�� educational and intellectual missions are subordinated to 바카라사이트 task of addressing 바카라사이트 priorities of 바카라사이트 military.

Maria is a researcher in comparative higher education. Until recently, she was a professor and vice-rector for research at HSE University in Moscow. Her book, , co-authored with Yaroslav Kuzminov (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2022), analyses Russian higher education from its beginnings until 바카라사이트 pre-invasion period.