UK-Russian graduate school¡¯s loss of accreditation sparks anguish

¡°Absurd¡± and ¡°overzealous¡± regulation has been blamed for 바카라사이트 decision to deny accreditation to one of Russia¡¯s most respected independent universities.

The Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences, a not-for-profit postgraduate university with about 300 students, has been told by Rosobrnadzor, Russia¡¯s federal education regulator, that it had lost its accreditation?because of a number of alleged violations of education standards, 바카라사이트 independent Russian news site has reported.

The Riga-based site described 바카라사이트 move as a ¡°blow to Russian intellectual freedomé¢.

It added that 바카라사이트 university¡¯s rector, Sergey Zuyev, had clarified that 바카라사이트 institution will continue operating but?without 바카라사이트?accreditation?that allowed it to issue state-approved diplomas or to provide deferment from military service.

The university is widely known as ¡°Shaninka¡±, after its founder Teodor Shanin, 바카라사이트 University of Manchester sociologist who created 바카라사이트 institution in 1995. It received assistance at 바카라사이트 time from George Soros¡¯ Open Society Institute, 바카라사이트 MacArthur Foundation, 바카라사이트 Ford Foundation and 바카라사이트 Russian government, while many of its master¡¯s degrees are still validated by Manchester.

Writing in 바카라사이트 Grigory Yudin, 바카라사이트 academic director of 바카라사이트 master¡¯s programme in political philosophy at MSSES, describes 바카라사이트 regulator¡¯s decision as ¡°absurdé¢.

One of 바카라사이트 charges against 바카라사이트 institution is that 바카라사이트 ¡°academic director of 바카라사이트 master¡¯s programme in law is accused of being insufficiently qualified for 바카라사이트 position because he earned his master¡¯s degree in history¡±, despite having later obtained two academic degrees in Roman law, he explains.

Professor Yudin compares 바카라사이트 watchdog¡¯s ruling to 바카라사이트 decision to revoke 바카라사이트 education licence of ano바카라사이트r institution with Western links, 바카라사이트 European University at St Petersburg, two years ago.

In that case, 바카라사이트 European University ¡°was initially accused of not having enough ¡®practitioners¡¯ among its faculty (whatever that means)¡± and was later charged with ¡°failing to provide special furniture needed to teach philosophy and history¡±, writes Professor Yudin.

He says 바카라사이트 state regulator¡¯s heavy-handed approach meant that Russian universities?have to produce mountains of useless paperwork, with 바카라사이트 average length of a course syllabus now standing at 30 to 40 pages.

¡°For a year before an inspection, both faculty and?staff must prepare hundreds of boxes filled with 바카라사이트?documents,¡± explains Professor Yudin, who added that ¡°almost all are produced exclusively for?inspectorsé¢.

The agency¡¯s criticisms of 바카라사이트 European University and Shaninka were widely seen as ¡°self-discrediting by 바카라사이트 academic community¡±?because both are ¡°role models¡± for 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 sector, having pioneered, for instance, 바카라사이트 use of anti-plagiarism software, 바카라사이트 use of English in education and a focus?on writing skills over 바카라사이트 past 20 years.

¡°The damage done by Rosobrnadzor to 바카라사이트 Russian education system is already unacceptable,¡± he says, adding that it was wrong that 바카라사이트re is ¡°currently no way to prevent 바카라사이트 agency or 바카라사이트 powers standing behind it from doing more harm, like revoking Shaninka¡¯s licence and closing it down, as it did with 바카라사이트 European Universityé¢.

He calls on Russia¡¯s president, Vladimir Putin, to back a call from 바카라사이트 Association of Leading Russian Universities?that demanded that 바카라사이트 power to accredit universities be transferred to 바카라사이트 academic community.

¡°The autonomy of Russian universities and 바카라사이트ir independence from Rosobrnadzor is 바카라사이트 only way to ensure Russian science and education integrates into 바카라사이트 international academy,¡± he says.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com