Yabloko demands to return state accreditation to the Moscow Higher School of Social and Economic Sciences

Statement by Yabloko’s Bureau

Press Release, 25.06.2018

On 20 June, Federal Education and Science Supervision Agency (Rosoboradzor) denied the Moscow Higher School of Social and Economic Sciences [which is considered to be the best private university in Russia] of state accreditation. Now graduates of the university will not be able to receive state-recognised diplomas, which testify that the graduate has the qualifications corresponding to state standards.

The Moscow Higher School of Social and Economic Sciences in all characteristics is comparable to the best universities in the world. Founder of the university and descendant of emigrants from Russia Sir Teodor Shanin set a goal to bring Russian educational standards closer to European ones. The curricula and programmes of the university are recognised by leading British universities. Graduates of the university receive a master’s degree not only from a Russian university, but also from Manchester University, one of the strongest in the UK in the humanities. Unlike many Russian universities, education and academic work in the Moscow Higher School of Social and Economic Sciences are free from interference of ideology and represent an example of a truly high-quality education.

Other [Russian] leading non-state universities also encountered problems. In 2013, Sergei Guriev, Rector of the Russian Economic School was forced to leave the School, as he left Russia for fear of being prosecuted within the so-called “the third YUKOS case”. In March 2017, after long proceedings and despite a wide public resonance, the European University in St. Petersburg, one of the most competitive domestic universities on the world educational market, was deprived of the license to carry out educational activities.

The Yabloko party states that depriving the Moscow Higher School of Social and Economic Sciences of state accreditation is in line with the ongoing attack against independent education in Russia. Destruction of universities that teach their graduates to think critically and unbiasedly and introduce them to the modern theories and tendencies of European sciences leads to the degradation of science, the system of Russian education and society as a whole. The Russian political leadership seeks to destroy free thinking and tries to raise obedient citizens. Moreover, this way contradicts the state programmes that are currently implemented so that to improve the quality of education and raise it to the international level, this path is a deliberate destruction of Russia’s international competitiveness in the sphere of education. The consequences of such a state policy will certainly manifest themselves in the future.

The system of licensing and accreditation of higher educational institutions in its present form has become an instrument for elimination of free thought and independence in Russian higher education. Universities should gain true independence, i.e. to be able to conduct independent financial, personnel, educational, academic and research activities. It is necessary to guarantee at the state level openness, democracy and autonomy of Russian universities. Only such a policy will make Russian education and science competitive at the world level.

Yabloko demands to stop the policies of destroying independent education and return state accreditation to the Moscow Higher School of Social and Economic Sciences.

Emilia Slabunova,

Chair, Yabloko