Putin plans overhaul of Russia’s public universities

Nature : On being elected president of Russia earlier this year, Vladimir Putin decided to conduct a massive reform of the country’s university system. According to an external audit commissioned by Russia’s Ministry of Science and Education, almost 500 of the country’s 600 or so public higher-education institutions are not up to international standards, particularly in terms of “quality of students, research intensity and productivity, and the amount of teaching space,” writes Quirin Schiermeier for Nature. As part of his proposed education overhaul, Putin plans to shut down the most severely underachieving schools, increase funding to a smaller number of higher-performing universities, raise academic salaries, and offer bonuses for special achievements in teaching and research. Although many Russian academics complained about the criteria chosen for the audit, others emphasized the benefits that will be realized, especially in the areas of science and innovation.