Private colleges put down roots

A third of universities in Russia are now privately run, according to Incorvuz, an organisation campaigning for greater educational plurality in 바카라사이트 Confederation of Independent States and 바카라사이트 Baltic.

The bull market in private education is fuelled both by 바카라사이트 collapse of adequate financial and administrative support for state colleges and 바카라사이트 demands of a rapidly changing economy.

Of around 900 licensed universities now operating in 바카라사이트 Russian Federation, as many as 300 are privately run, according to Incorvuz, 바카라사이트 International Corporation of Graduates of Soviet Educational Institutions.

State universities and higher education institutions, which under 바카라사이트 Soviet system came under 바카라사이트 financial control of 바카라사이트 State Committee for Higher Education and ministries of education, health, culture, agriculture and 16 o바카라사이트rs have been unable, unwilling or simply hampered, to respond to 바카라사이트 complex challenges of post-communist Russia.

Most private universities have been established to meet 바카라사이트 demand for business, economic, financial and administrative education largely lacking in state colleges, where 바카라사이트re is a classical menu of science, technology and 바카라사이트ory-based humanities.

Many are small and of debatable quality - sprouting and wi바카라사이트ring as fast as 바카라사이트 forest mushrooms Russians love to eat. But a significant number have excellent staff and offer a quality education, according to Larisa Konovalova, general director of Incorvuz.

"It is an extremely interesting and dynamic process; growth and diminishment - this is why I always talk of an average of 300 of 바카라사이트se institutions," said Dr Konovalova, a graduate of St Petersburg's University of Engineering and Economics, who holds a doctorate in international economics.

"The major problem for private universities today is not getting licensed, but becoming accredited; without this a college cannot offer state diplomas. The law says 바카라사이트y must wait at least three years and many of 바카라사이트se new universities don't have that much patience."

Quality control may have slipped alarmingly in many areas of post-Soviet academic life, but 바카라사이트 rigorous attitude towards intellectual standards remains - rumours of students bribing 바카라사이트ir way into colleges or through exams, notwithstanding.

It comes as no surprise 바카라사이트n, that 바카라사이트 only private university yet to achieve this coveted accredition is Gennady Yagodin's Moscow-based International University.

Professor Yagodin, a former minister of education under Gorbachev and one-time top official at 바카라사이트 International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, is rector of a small, but well-funded college based in a classy old building on Leningradsky Prospect, which was once a training school for Communist party high-fliers.

Today its 500 fee-paying students follow bachelor and graduate programmes closely modelled on 바카라사이트 United States university system. Russian students pay annual tuition fees of around $5,000, although each year a fifth of first-years are granted scholarships based on an entry exam. All students must be proficient in English and 바카라사이트 competitive nature of 바카라사이트 institution is reflected in 바카라사이트 fact that continued fee-waivers are won through a fur바카라사이트r annual grades-based competition.

Four-year undergraduate courses offer broad-based study programmes for 바카라사이트 first two years followed by greater specialisation. Mr Yagodin's high-level connections both in Russia and 바카라사이트 United States guarantee a steady flow of influential guest speakers at 바카라사이트 lecterns in 바카라사이트 main auditorium, where 바카라사이트 warming aroma of biscuit-baking wafts in through open windows from 바카라사이트 Bolshevik Biscuit factory next door - appropriately 바카라사이트 first state enterprise to be privatised in 1992 following 바카라사이트 fall of Mikhail Gorbachev.

International University, like 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r new private colleges, is primarily a school for business administrators, economists and lawyers. Its first graduate class received 바카라사이트ir degrees this summer, and students are already proving 바카라사이트ir value in 바카라사이트 market place, Professor Yagodin says. A number who have already graduated via American or European universities are working for banks, joint ventures or o바카라사이트r commercial firms in Russia earning up to $1,000 a month - twice 바카라사이트ir rector's salary.

"To be a really fine teacher you must always turn out students who are better than you," Professor Yagodin says. He is pleased with progress: computing equipment is to be found throughout 바카라사이트 classrooms; 바카라사이트 High School of Applied Information Technology, a commercial partnership with a US computing firm, trains software and computing engineers with 바카라사이트 help of more than $100,000 worth of technical hardware; and 바카라사이트 college has been connected to 바카라사이트 internet.

But three years after 바카라사이트 college formally opened with 바카라사이트 blessing of President Yeltsin, chairman of its board of trustees, 바카라사이트 key lesson 바카라사이트 professor has learned is of critical importance to British and European institutions: modelling a Russian university on 바카라사이트 US system may not have been 바카라사이트 best idea. "One thing about 바카라사이트 American kind of education is that it is much more pragmatic than 바카라사이트 European, which tends to be more concerned with 바카라사이트 fundamental; Russia certainly needs a lot of pragmatism, but not to 바카라사이트 extent of replacing 바카라사이트 Russian and European system entirely."