A doctor came to Shaninka – Newspaper Kommersant No. 40 (7485) dated 03/10/2023

The Moscow Higher School of Social and Economic Sciences (MVSHSEN, or Shaninka) was headed by Maria Sigova. Doctor of Economics Sigova has been the head of the International Banking Institute since 2014, and in 2019 she was elected to the municipal council of the Palace District in St. Petersburg from United Russia. The university argues that a change of leadership was needed, since Sergei Zuev, who headed the school for more than ten years, will not be able to “fully” fulfill his duties due to ongoing criminal prosecution. Shaninka promises that after stabilization “in the financial sphere” elections of a new rector will be held. Employees fear that MHSES will be merged with the second university headed by Mrs. Sigova.

The meeting of founders on March 7 decided that Shaninka would be headed by Maria Sigova, Kommersant was told at the university. “The decision to appoint a new rector was dictated by the need to strengthen the management team and determine a sustainable development strategy for the university for the coming years,” the university said in a statement on its website. “For the former rector, Sergei Eduardovich Zuev, it is difficult to fulfill his duties in full due to the ongoing lawsuit. Sergey Zuev, Candidate of Art History, will remain the scientific director of the MHSES and will participate in the discussion of the university’s further movement strategy.” The university assures that after the stabilization of Shaninka’s position, primarily “in the financial sector”, the founders intend to elect a new rector on an alternative basis.

The ex-rector of MHSES Sergei Zuev was detained in October 2021, he was charged under Part 4 of Art. 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (large-scale fraud). In addition to him, the defendants are the ex-Deputy Minister of Education Marina Rakova, her common-law husband Artur Stetsenko, and. O. Director General of the Foundation for New Forms of Development of Education Maxim Inkin, ex-employee of the Foundation Evgeny Zak and Executive Director of Shaninka Kristina Kryuchkova. Initially, it was about the theft of 21 million rubles allocated from the budget for the implementation of the federal projects “Education” and “Teacher of the Future” in 2019-2020. Later, the investigation revealed the fact of fictitious employment of 12 employees of the Ministry of Education at the Institute of Social Sciences, which was a structural unit of the RANEPA. Most of the accused were sent to a pre-trial detention center after their detention, but now all of them, except for Ivan Fedotov, are under a ban on certain actions. On March 6, the Nikulinsky Court of Moscow extended until August 21 a preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions for Sergei Zuev. He is forbidden to leave the house from 22:00 to 6:00, as well as to use means of communication.

Shaninka’s team learned about the appointment of a new rector on Tuesday at a meeting with the founders, which was attended by the ex-head of the Accounts Chamber, corporate development adviser at Yandex, Alexei Kudrin. The Moscow Times reported, citing its sources, that the Gaidar Institute (the founder of Shaninka) decided to transfer students to the Sobchak International Banking Institute. However, the MHSES told Kommersant that there are no decisions on “transferring to another jurisdiction” at the moment, “Shaninka continues to work as before.”

However, the teachers told Kommersant that the option in question was indeed discussed. Professor Shaninka sociologist Grigory Yudin confirmed that the assumptions arose because Maria Sigova is the rector of the International Banking Institute. “The founders and trustees of the team stated that no such decisions had been made and that they would be made together with the team,” he told Kommersant. Boris Shapiro, head of the Department of Practical Psychology at Shaninka, suggests that a merger with another university will indeed take place. However, he does not understand how this will be organized organizationally, especially since the institute is located in another city.

“In this situation, there are two aspects – Shaninka as a brand and as an organization with its own atmosphere and values,” says Mr. Shapiro. “As a brand, it will apparently disappear. And whether it will be possible to save the corporate culture, it all depends on how the new broom will take revenge. In his opinion, a merger is better than a closure. “We were waiting for anything, up to the recognition of us as foreign agents, because we are collaborating with the University of Manchester,” he said. Boris Shapiro suggests that changes within the university are inevitable. “What will happen to the university, no one knows,” he concludes. “Man (new rector.— “b”) completely unknown, incomprehensible.

“If the new leadership understands that Shaninka belongs to the entire Shanin community — our students, graduates, professors — then it will be able to contribute to the common cause,” says Grigory Yudin. principles of functioning of our university. In this case, it will receive the support of the Shanin community. We will see it soon.”

Anna Vasilyeva