Rosobrnadzor

Discussion in 'Accreditation Discussions (RA, DETC, state approva' started by Kizmet, Apr 22, 2016.

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  1. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    This Russian accreditor is kicking some universities butts

    Russia's Education Watchdog Suspends Accreditation of Petersburg's European University | News | The Moscow Times
     
  2. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Guess they know фигня (fignya) - B.S. - when they see it. Learned a useful word today, I think. :smile:

    J.
     
  3. Stanislav

    Stanislav Well-Known Member

    Color me dubious. As a rule, it is best to second-guess any official Russian acts, especially by a body with a name that ends with "-nadzor".
    Russia has hordes of private universities, most quite dreadful. EUSpb is a graduate university focused on social sciences; there seems to be some substance there. I suspect it's more glitter than gold; but I also suspect their real sin is being a place flirting with dangerous nonconformist thinking; a school referencing the dreaded "Gayropa" in its very name. They already got in trouble - with the fire department no less - after getting EuroComission grant to improve voting monitoring. They abandoned the project and seemed to cosy up to all the right authorities, but last 2 years in Russia are especially paranoid.

    According to Russian press, reason for the decision is a bunch of formal paper things; documents that don't have right verbiage in right places, information not posted on right sections of the website, that sort of thing. One thing in particular - they apparently didn't jump fast enough to amend their admissions regulations to accommodate the residents of that newest Russian region, Crimea, as newly required. University admins pledge to fix everything in a jiffy.

    I am not sympathizing with any entity out of St. Petersburg, but keep in mind that Russian official act can have motivation very different from what an authority's official mandate says.
     
  4. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    I can see why you are dubious, Stanislav. I appreciate your explanation and I therefore withdraw my silly remark.

    J.
     
  5. Stanislav

    Stanislav Well-Known Member

    EUSP is linked to Alexei Kudrin, former Vice Prime Minister for Yeltzin and early Putin. He is part of "system liberals" clique in Russian elite, linked to free market reform (and widespread stealing that went with it). This faction is quite widely despised (not entirely undeserved), and currently the day belongs to Putin's siloviki (tight-knit group of people from... what can charitably be described as "law enforcement", most prominently his KGB pals), "patriots", and Kadyrov's Chechen goons. So this thing might be a move in proxy war for influence against weakened frenemies. Or just mindless act in line with anti-Western hysteria of late. One can never really know. What I can't imagine it be is sincere care for educational quality, 'cause then there wouldn't be a reason to pick this particular school.


    ...BTW, most likely the university will get its accreditation back, if didn't already. It's not like Kudrin and syslibs are true dissidents. It's one part of the Kremlin taking another one down a teeny tiny peg.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 27, 2016

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