The European University at St Petersburg - Unaccredited / State Licensed

Here is an example of University in Russian Federation that is unaccredited but state licensed and legitimate - recognized school.

http://www.eu.spb.ru/en/univ/mission.htm

The European University at St Petersburg

Their degrees are accepted for PhD and Doctoral studies in all the affiliated universities.

The European University at St Petersburg
Is an educational institution for further professional education - a non-governmental, non-commercial graduate school training highly qualified specialists in the spheres of social sciences and humanities.

The University was established by the Municipal Real Estate Committee and the Culture Committee of St Petersburg City Administration, by St Petersburg Institute of Economics and Mathematics and the St Petersburg Branch of the Institute of Sociology, Russian Academy of Sciences, and by St Petersburg Association of Scientists and Scholars. On 28 November 1994, the University was registered with the Board for Education, St Petersburg City Administration, and granted a license for postgraduate education.


It appears that they are unaccredited legitimate residential institute. They are not an university because only accredited institutions of higher education called university in Russia.

 

They have DL programs as well

http://www.eu.spb.ru/econ/distant/index.htm

I was to late for editing the first post so here is the link to their DL programs.

 

Well, it certainly looks better than that other thing in Petersbourg! I noticed that their DL is only in various fields of economics: macro, micro, int'l., and econometrics. That looks far more responsible than offering dozens of different fields with no discernible basis. We'll see what happens as this institute develops.

 

I agree and one more observation is no bogus accreditations.

Learner

 

what makes you believe that it is not accredited? One shouldn't confuse the california system of state approval and regional accreditation with how educational systems work in other parts of the world...

 

There is another post on how the system In Russian Federation works.

Accreditation has to be awarded by Russian Ministry of Education.

License is the first step of recognition but it's not an accreditation.

 

Indeed... the thing seems very serious. Judging from the fact I have not seen the word "state diploma" on the site and the way they call themselves "further (post-diploma) education" institution rather than "higher education" one, they are indeed just hold a license.

One thing interests me, though. They talk about "aspirant-level program" and "dissertation defence", implying that their graduates receive Kandidat degree. (Kandidat is IMHO equivalent to PhD; however, some claim it is an equivalent of only a Masters, especially in humanities and economics, and this school seems to hold this latter view). Do they award an official, recognised Kandidat degree? It seems that the institution need not be "accredited" to award Kandidat; rather, it must form a Council of Science (do you have better translation for "uchenyj sovet"?) consisting of qualified scientist and get it approved with High Attestation Commission. That's how research institutes (not universities) get to award degrees. So this particular University might be technically "unaccredited" (in Russian sence) yet award "accredited" (i. e. recognised) postgraduate degrees. (in fact, in Russia Bachelors and Masters are "diplomas", whereas Kandidat and Doktor - "scientific titles (degrees)". Legally different things.).

 

I did write to them, one of the questions I asked is what is the format of the Diploma and by whom it is awarded?

If it is awarded by them then it is not of the State format.

There maybe possibility that they do the teaching and examinations but the diploma is awarded by St Petersburg Institute of Economics and Mathematics and the St Petersburg Branch of the Institute of Sociology, Academy of Science.

In this case the diplomas are really from accredited school.

I know that for many years the National Academy of Economics
was unaccredited and served as preparatory school were students graduated with Diplomas of Specialist and Masters Degree from State Universities and Institutes.
They didn't award any diploma of their own.

Now they do because in 2001 they became accredited.

 

They have a link to their Academic Council
The current Academic Council was elected in February 2003

Members of the Academic council

Daniel A. Alexandrov
Albert K. Baiburin
Kirill Yu. Borissov
Nikolai B. Vakhtin
Eugeni V. Golovko
Roman G. Grigoryev
***********
***********
Yuri P. Tretyakov
Ilia Utekhin
Boris M. Firsov
Vladimir Ya. Khotiakov

http://www.eu.spb.ru/en/univ/adm03.htm

 

Just noticed...

Russian language site lists following: "State accreditation certificate ¹ 25-1953, 16.07.2004".

So, the thing IS accredited. Given their programs of study and calibre of people involved, it's no wonder.

 

Thanks,

I missed that Ops

You are correct.

Ëèöåíçèÿ A ¹101619 îò 17.02.2003 ã.
Ñâèäåòåëüñòâî î ãîñóäàðñòâåííîé àêêðåäèòàöèè ¹ 25-1953 îò 16.07.2004 ã.

I missed that last time I looked.

Good example for Licensed and Accredited university in Russia.

 

Hm.

Now I am a bit confused. I thought that the Candidate degree absolutely WAS the equivalent of the American or British Ph.D. or D. Phil. and that the Russian Doctorate was the equivalent of the British or Aussie Higher Doctorate (i.e. LL.D.)

I also understood that there is no American equivalent to the Russian Doctorate, that is, no earned degree based on lifetime contributions to a subject.

BTW, at the height of the Soviet Union's University system reputation, there were two or three Soviet Law faculties rated in the world's top ten, rated with or higher, even, than Harvard or Yale, Oxford or Cambridge.

 

I agree. I see now that this school has three-year "aspirant" programme, where first year to year and a half leads to Masters degree and the remainder is spent working on a Kandidat dissertation. Those whose dissertation is not ready by the end of a programm can continue writing it in a part-time mode off-campus.

Now that is just funny. I mean, the phrase "Soviet Law" is an excellent joke in itself! Kind of like "military intelligence"

 

Well, here's something else to chew over...Marxist-Leninist law as supposed to fade out of existance and be replaced with the social pressures exerted in the society of the New Soviet Man. They were a little unclear, IMHO, about exactly what would keep the same thing from happening again that they said happened the FIRST time, that is, the emergence of a propertied class.

Marxist-Leninism was a RELIGION and like any other religion demanded a good bit of uncritical faith.

One other factoid: Literally the LAST reasonably free professional in the Soviet Union was the private attorney. He charged, and lived on, his fees.

Now, the fee scale was set for him and his office was assigned to him, but he was not a state employee or the employee of a state controlled enterprise.

 

Why, the Moral Code of the Builder of Communism, of course!

There is a famous series of science-fiction novels by Strugatsky brothers, so called "Noon cycle", where the communist utopia was made almost beleivable. Their world is built around Education and Rising of a Creative Man who finds happines in his work. Last I've heard Arkady Strugatsky now thinks the actual World of the Noon is impossible.

And the private dentist.

 

Oh really? I'd have thought that dentists would be state employees like physicians were.

Hunh.

 

Most of them were (still are, actually. And with scandalously small pay, too). But a few private dentists existed. They had to compete with state, free clinics on quality. It was hard then (hard to acquire good materials and equipment) and very easy now, since state clinics are in such a sorry state. Nowadays if you care about your teeth, you pay the doctor.

 

Well this is how I got my fear of dentists.
It was like going to torture, they had instruments from midle ages
As a kid I escaped from dentist office many times and had nightmares days before the appointment or school visit, yes we had orginized trips to the dongen for the torture clas.s by class


Learner