The Modernization of Higher Education: Problems and Ways to Solve Them

Overview & Synopsis

The level of education of the population of Russia, the scale and traditions of the country's system of education, make it possible for Russia to maintain its ability to compete even at a time when its defense capability is declining, the raw materials component in the economy is rising, and the country is lagging behind in technological and information development. The "education--science--culture" cluster has enabled the country to keep its place among the leading countries of the world. A key role in national systems of education is played by higher education, which constitutes a factor for raising the quality of human resources, increasing the innovation potential of society, and developing other levels of education. The potential of Russia's system of higher education enabled it to endure the difficult period of reforms in the 1990s and to move out of the crisis period of mere "survival" into the stage of constructive modernization. In December 2004, the government of the Russian Federation approved the Priority Directions in the Development of the Educational System of the Russian Federation, in which a central role is assigned to "raising the quality of professional education," "developing an up-to-date system of continuous professional education," and "enhancing the investment attractiveness of the sphere of education." This article discusses the recent measures to modernize higher education, the problems relating to it and ways to solve them.