Master’s Programs in Russia: Four Paths of Future Development

The exclusion of Russia from the Bologna process led to large-scale discussions in society about the future of the Russian magistracy. The implementation of master’s education raised questions throughout 29 years of its existence. Society has developed a perception of magistracy as a problem area of higher education. Thus, when the question arose about the advisability of developing a master’s programs after Russia’s exit from the European Higher Education Area, the majority formed their opinion: no magistracy – no problems. However, objective data allow us to see the situation in the different perspective.The paper presents the result of a study of the qualitative and quantitative composition of students of the domestic master’s programs from 2012 to 2020. Based on the analysis, the main trends in changing the profile of Russian master’s students have been identified. The tasks relevant to the development of the institute of the Russian magistracy are outlined with a focus on a portrait of today’s master’s student.The analysis shows that the magistracy has firmly occupied the niche formed in recent years for the training and retraining of specialists. It has become an independent institution of higher education with its own goals, objectives, resources and, most importantly, with its own contingent. The magistracy has a small inertia in response to the emerging challenges of society. Because of that the magistracy increases its demand every year. At the same time, its self-sufficiency rises.The magistracy has been long and hard embedded into the Russian traditions of education. Finally, it has found its place. The factors considered in the study allow us to speak about the high potential for the Russian magistracy development.The data and conclusions presented in the study can serve as the basis for a scientific discussion about the future of domestic education.

Master’s Student 3++: Portrait and New Requests

Burkova

2022

Education for Adults. Landscape of the online IT Master’s Programs in Russia

Grits,

Brudkova

2024

The number of online master’s programs in Russia is growing by the year with IT programs leading the way. The online master’s programs engage working adults whose goal is to obtain a new profession or master the skills required for their professional development. In terms of governmental regulation in Russia, almost no distinction is drawn between on-campus and online master’s programs. The surge in the number of the latter is attributed to university digitalization which merely transfers traditional content and structure to a digital form. The authors being actively engaged in educational practice challenge this point of view as it becomes apparent that online master’s programs constitute a stand-alone phenomenon worth thorough investigation. The article in question scrutinizes the core features of 48 Russian online master’s programs in IT; an explanatory analysis of the phenomenon is conducted through the open and distance education theories and the concept of professional master’s program. It is concluded that online master’s programs in IT in Russia bear signs of open and distance education models. However, it is premature to claim it a new type of education.

City Through the Eyes Of Students' Youth: Assessment and Regional Practices (A Case Study of Nizhny Novgorod)

Chepyuk,

Angelova,

Makarova

et al. 2024

Russian universities at the present stage play a significant role in shaping the students professional preferences and migration expectations, thereby contributing to socio-economic development and influencing the process of human capital management at the regional level. The issue of immersing a university in the problems of a city (region) becomes especially relevant in light of global challenges, such as demographic changes, economic instability, and a lack of qualified personnel. One of the important areas of research is the analysis of how students evaluate the city of study, which may become their future place of residence and professional activity. The publication presents the results of such a study – a long-term survey of young people (students of the largest Nizhny Novgorod university – Lobachevsky University) about the conditions for their professional growth and development in one of the largest Russian cities – Nizhny Novgorod. The survey period (2017-2023) covered not only significant events related to the implementation of large infrastructure projects in the city (2018 FIFA World Cup, the 800th anniversary of Nizhny Novgorod in 2021, recognition of the city as New Year’s (2022) and Youth (2023) capitals of Russia), but also during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the areas of the research that determined its novelty was the assessment of the city as a center for the development of creative industries, as well as a structural analysis of the results when dividing respondents by type of planned career trajectories. The discussion compared the results with similar studies from other regions of Russia. The results of the study are of interest for university management and regional policy, emphasizing the importance of the interaction of educational institutions with the urban environment in the context of the preservation and development of human resources in the region.