educational authority Rosobrnadzor has issued warnings to 17 universities, including cautions concerning exams for migrants.
Rosobrnadzor Calls Out 17 Russian Universities for Violations
Where's the beef, Russia? Rosobrnadzor, the federal executive body responsible for supervising education and science, ain't playing around. They've slapped the wrist of 17 educational institutions across the nation, pointing fingers at their glaring mistakes in the education sphere.
A handful of these hapless universities had violated some fundamental requirements that just wouldn't fly with Rosobrnadzor. Inserting in this unfortunate crew are National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, Saint Petersburg State Maritime Technical University (SPbGMTU), and Novosibirsk State University. And that's just the beginning.
In a move that makes you wonder if Vladimir Putin's got his eye on the prize, the federal government introduced a unified standardized entrance exam in Russian for foreign applicants to universities and scientific organizations for higher education programs back in December 2021. Based on the requirements of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), this mandate came into play on April 1, 2025.
Seven universities found themselves in a pickle for violating requirements in conducting exams in Russian as a foreign language, history, and Russian law, and for issuing certificates to foreign citizens. RUDN, FEFU, HSPU, VSU, Ufa State University of Economics and Service, Orel State University named after I.A. Bunin, and Moscow Center for Quality Education—talk about a mess!
It was previously reported that over three years, approximately 14,000 migrants seeking Russian citizenship were found to have bogus certificates proving their knowledge of the Russian language, history, and law. Rosobrnadzor's on their case, making sure these educational organizations authorized to conduct exams for further certification clean up their acts.
Speaking of cleaning up, Putin's got his back in the corner, supporting the Ministry of Education and Science's proposal to offer subsidized loans for paid education in university and college programs, but only in priority areas for the state such as medicine, engineering, and education.
Valentina Matviyenko, Chairwoman of the Federation Council, isn't happy with capital universities in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Kazan bringing in students from all over the country. She thinks it's creating too heavy a concentration of graduates in certain professions and suggests that high school grads hunker down in their home regions and get to work.
Looks like our legislators have a plan to tackle the shortage of skilled workers in industries, proposing a change-up for ninth-graders. They're suggesting slashing the number of final exams by half, leaving only Russian language and mathematics. If this bill gets the green light, it'll undergo a test run in 2025 in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Rostov and Tyumen regions, and North Ossetia.
While the dust settle, keep your eyes peeled for further developments on our website, and stay connected through Zen.Dzen.News.email, Telegram, or VKontakte.
- In 2025, seven universities, including VSU, are facing consequences for violating requirements in conducting exams in Russian, history, and Russian law, and for issuing certificates to foreign citizens.
- The federal government introduced a unified standardized entrance exam in Russian for foreign applicants to universities and scientific organizations for higher education programs in December 2021, to be enforced on April 1, 2025, based on the requirements of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
- Rosobrnadzor, the federal executive body responsible for supervising education and science, has called out 17 Russian universities for various violations in the education sphere.
- The education-and-self-development sector in Russia will see changes in the near future, with legislators proposing a reduction in the number of final exams for ninth-grade students, leaving only Russian language and mathematics, as part of a plan to address the shortage of skilled workers in industries.
