USTU Rector Participates in the Meeting with the Minister of Education and Science

On June 16 Syktyvkar hosted a meeting of the Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation Dmitry Livanov with the university rectors of the Komi Republic. The meeting discussed issues of evaluating the effectiveness of higher education institutions. Rector of Ukhta State Technical University, chairman of the Council of Rectors of the Komi Republic, Nikolay Tskhadaya outlined the need to take into account the specifics of the higher educational institutions in the northern regions of Russia - by far the predetermined costs of maintaining educational institutions are the same for the southern and northern high schools.

“In Vorkuta heating season lasts almost ten months. For the necessary infrastructure maintenance the educational establishments have to bear costs multiple times higher than those in the south or even in the central part of Russia. Meanwhile, this figure is equally considered to determine the effectiveness of all the universities", said Nikolay Tskhadaya.

This proposal was supported by the Acting Head of the Komi Republic Vyacheslav Gaiser, who participated in the meeting. Dmitry Livanov said that this issue will be presented and worked out in detail in the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation.

During the discussion, a question was raised whether it is possible to lower the threshold for the Unified State Exam (USE), necessary for admission to universities. This criterion may be revised due to the fact that in 2014 the minimum indicators to assess USE in the Russian language and mathematics were lowered in schools.

“In the next two weeks Rosobrnadzor should establish minimum thresholds for entry into higher education establishments, it will happen immediately after all reexaminations. It is difficult to say exactly that sights for applicants will be lowered. It is not entirely correct to compare school grades with the university ones. It is done so that maximum number of pupils of general educational institutions could get a higher school certificate. But, on the one hand, best pupils have to study at universities. That’s why possible lowering of the USE threshold for higher education institutions must be a weighted result", press service of the head and the government of the region quotes the minister.

Rector of Ukhta University Nikolay Tskhadaya noted the importance of the meeting for the development of the education system in our region.