A pilot initiative for reforming higher education in the Russian Federation will unfold across six universities during the 2023-2024 and 2025-2026 academic years. President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to authorize this phased change on Friday, May 12, marking a deliberate shift in how specialized training and degrees are structured within the country’s tertiary system, according to official briefings reported by TASS.
The reform introduces multiple tracks within higher education, spanning direct higher education with its basic and specialized components, professional study, and postgraduate programs. This structure signals a move toward layered standards that accommodate varying levels of study, from foundational bachelor’s work to advanced postgraduate training, with a clear emphasis on practical and theoretical alignment across disciplines.
In practical terms, the new framework defines distinct durations for each level: the base higher education pathway typically lasts four to six years, master’s programs span one to three years depending on the field and specialization, and the overall timeline reflects considerations of economic demand and social needs. The approach aims to balance broad academic foundations with professional expertise, ensuring that graduates are prepared for a competitive job market.
The document emphasizes that traditional rights, social guarantees, duties, and responsibilities will remain intact for students as the education system evolves. Students enrolled under existing programs will retain their earned protections while the system transitions to the new model. Importantly, those who study within specialization tracks will retain the option to advance directly to a master’s program without it being counted as a second higher education, addressing concerns about credential stacking. Currently, graduates who earned a specialty diploma after 2012 can only enter master’s programs in paid slots, as those diplomas are designated as second higher education credentials.
Participating pilot institutions include MAI, MISiS, Moscow State Pedagogical University, St. Petersburg Mining University, the Baltic Federal University, Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, and Tomsk State University of Architecture and Construction. By June 30, these universities are expected to design and approve the corresponding educational standards, program requirements, and both undergraduate and postgraduate offerings tied to the new system, as reported by TASS. Admissions under the experiment will begin as early as the 2023-2024 academic year and will run concurrently with the existing enrollment framework until the transition is complete.
Institutions engaged in the pilot will submit operating reports on the new mechanism and propose adjustments to the federal government. The government will collect these data annually and deliver a consolidated report to the presidential administration by July 30 of each year, keeping oversight tight and transparent.
Within two months, the government is to outline the implementation specifics of the pilot. This includes the redistribution of budget-funded places, the procedures for admitting, organizing, and delivering training under the new system, and a catalog of specialties and training areas. The aim is to tie new levels of education to those that existed previously, ensuring continuity in policy and practice, as described in official communications.
The Ministry of Education and Science will oversee organizational, technical, informational, and methodological support for the project and will regulate the issuance of diplomas and other documents for students in the new framework. The department is also tasked with funding the project within three months to adjust state assignments for participants. Expenditures will be accounted for from the current year’s allocations and the planning period, as noted in the government briefing.
Earlier, in May 2022, Valery Falkov, the Minister of Education and Science, described the Bologna system as a transitional phase and indicated that Russia would develop its own distinctive framework. The ministry assured a smooth transition while pursuing national goals. President Putin in a February address to the Federal Assembly proposed restoring a system that emphasizes specialist training with four to six years of study, while recognizing that additional training in certain fields—such as magistracy or residency—should remain available for further specialization. In April, a draft of the new education system was presented, signaling a move away from undergraduate, graduate, and specialist programs toward a differentiated, integrated model that aligns with Russia’s strategic needs. The overarching intent is to strengthen the link between education, industry, and public administration, ensuring graduates possess both depth in their disciplines and readiness for multifaceted professional roles.