Non-governmental Universities Want to Change the Draft Law on Education

On December 14, 2010, the Russian Non-governmental Academies Association (ANVUZ ) and the Expert Council on Non-governmental Education Institutions of the Russian Federation State Duma Committee on Education held their extended meetings in the Russian New University.

The main topic of the two meetings was a federal draft law “On Education in the Russian Federation”.

Vladimir A. Zernov, rector of RosNOU and chairman of the Association, pointed out that the current priority of the Association was to assert the equality of rights for governmental and non-governmental higher education institutions including the equal access to government contracts, the exemption of non-governmental universities from real estate taxation and other arrangements to establish a competitive environment for all higher education institutions in the country.

Dr. Nikolai Malyshev, deputy head of the Association and president of the Moscow Institute of Economics, Management and Law said: “Education is the basis for effective development of the country. A draft law on Education should reflect the general policy of the state. It should map out the goals we are seeking to achieve. And the present draft law seems to have been written by those who want to create “a country of shopkeepers”.

Vitaliy Solonitzyn, vice-rector for the Moscow Institute of Economics, Management, and Law, said: “I studied the draft law carefully. I must say that it meets our demands neither from the point of view of law, nor from the point of view of its wording. Definitions are vague. It looks more like a summary, rather than a draft law”.

Olga Zvyagintseva, rector of the Vladimir Institute of Business, put forward a proposal. She said: “It is not yet too late to make a written document. We will explain in it what we agree and disagree with, put our signatures to it and send the document to superior organizations”.

Evgeniy Minnibaev, rector of the Eastern Academy of Economics, Humanitarian Sciences, Management and Law and deputy head of the Association Council, said: “I believe we should determine all potential problems and formulate them to address our proposals to the Sate Duma Committee on Education and Science, to the RF Ministry of Education and Science and to the Federal Education and Science Supervision Agency. We should do our best to have a new law without any loopholes”.

Imran Akperov, president of the Interregional Association of Professionals of non-governmental higher education institutions of the South of Russia and rector of the Rostov University of Management, Business and Law, said: “The most important thing is to improve the wording of the draft law and to make constructive proposals. Our principal task is to support the system of non-governmental higher education institutions uncompromisingly. We should do our best to maintain and improve it. However, we in the Southern region of Russia, hope that we will not be disappointed over the new law”.

Sharing her considerations Tatiana Kozlova, rector of the St. Petersburg Institute of Law and Business, said: “On the one hand some officials think that non-governmental higher education institutions should merge to found enormous organizations. But on the other hand I am sure it is not so bad to be a small university, where everybody knows each other by sight. The new law must leave open options for universities whether to merge or remain independent. Students should be given an equal opportunity to choose which university to join a state one or a non-governmental one. A new law must contain the principles and tradition, making our lives easier”.

Grigory Balykhin, chairman of the State Duma Committee on Education and Science said: “It is necessary to speed up the preparation of a new draft law. It is important to take into account all constructive proposals. We should continue explanatory work on the Ministry web-site for people to understand what is going on. For example, we should explain what is happening to vocational schools or various academies. Let us have a comprehensive exchange of opinions to come to a general conclusion. The working group under our Committee will scrutinize all the proposals”.

The meeting was concluded by Julia Lynskaya, deputy director of the Russian Federation Ministry of Education and Science Legal Department. She said: “During the meeting we heard a lot of constructive criticism of the new draft law. We are all aware that it needs to be improved. We would like to get productive proposals and commentary. There are many new paragraphs in the draft law, for example, a paragraph concerning equal distribution of enrolment check figures between state and non-governmental universities. We started to discuss the draft law in advance to meet all demands of the society and now we will try to take into account as many proposals as possible”.

Following the meeting, ANVUZ decided to establish a working group, which will handle the proposals and commentary of the Association of Universities to submit them to the State Duma Committee on Education and Science, as well as to the ministries concerned and major political parties.

RosNOU broadcast the meetings live through the Internet.