Universities incorrectly set priority – Picture of the Day – Kommersant

Out of 106 universities receiving federal funding under the Priority 2030 state program, 41 failed to achieve the required indicators. This follows from the report of the Ministry of Education and Science on the results of the first year of the project. Also in the reports of 73 universities, officials identified “signs of inaccurate data.” Claims even arose against top universities, including MGIMO, HSE, MEPhI, MSTU. Bauman and RANEPA. Neither the ministry nor the universities have yet disclosed the details of the problems they are facing.

The Ministry of Education and Science summed up the results of the first year of the implementation of the Priority 2030 state program. We remind you that it will start in 2021. The goal is to form in Russia more than 100 progressive modern universities, centers of scientific, technological and socio-economic development of the country by 2030. To do this, 106 participating universities receive 100 million rubles. annually. As previously reported by Kommersant, for the program, universities presented topics of completely different profiles to the ministry. Thus, the Moscow State Law University named after Kutafin planned to take up projects on environmental law, biolaw, geolaw, and cyberlaw. Moscow State Technological University “Stankin” was going to solve the issues of digitalization of production within the framework of the program. And the Stavropol State Agrarian University relied on genomics and biologization of animal and plant breeding (see Kommersant dated September 27, 2021).

The protocol of the meeting of the departmental commission says that 64 out of 106 universities have achieved the desired results. Their performance indicators correspond to those declared in the development programs. At the same time, 41 universities were unable to provide the required indicators; among them there are also top ones, for example, MISiS, MIREA, RNIMU im. Pirogov. No details are disclosed in the document. Kommersant asked the Ministry of Education and Science what kind of criteria and results they are talking about, but have not yet received an answer.

In addition to problems with indicators, the commission identified “signs of inaccurate data” in the reports of 73 universities.

Among them – MSTU. Bauman, RANEPA, MEPhI, MGIMO, Nizhny Novgorod State University named after N.I. Mendeleev, FEPC, HSE, MIPT, MPEI and Sechenov University. Another ten universities did not fulfill “other obligations” – details were not disclosed in the protocol.

The document says that the Ministry of Education and Science until December 15 will require the return of funds from those universities that have not fulfilled their obligations under the grant “by more than 5%.”

There are no more detailed comments on this parameter in the document.

The agency also intends to analyze the reasons for non-fulfillment of performance indicators. Universities are recommended to adjust programs for the next year – in order to still achieve the goal with a “cumulative total”.

In addition, the ministry plans to conduct a “documentary check” of universities that could provide false data.

“Kommersant” sent requests to several universities with a request to clarify what kind of unfulfilled indicators in question. UNN did not answer questions about what indicators were not achieved and what unreliable data they are talking about. However, they are surprised that more than two-thirds of the participating universities, including very well-known ones, were included in the list with inaccurate reporting.

“In early December 2022, universities will defend interim reports on the implementation of their own development programs,” the university added. “It is possible that some indicators based on the results of defenses will be adjusted. In any case, universities have time until the end of 2023 to achieve the stated indicators.” At Sechenov University, Kommersant was told that more detailed information can be obtained from the Ministry of Education and Science: “We do not have more information on this issue.” At MIREA, RNIMU, MGIMO, RANEPA, HSE, MISiS, MEPhI, MIPT, KFU, RKhTU im. Mendeleev, FEFU did not respond to Kommersant’s request.

The Ministry of Education and Science, in response to a request from Kommersant for details about claims against universities, only noted that the department “will continue to strictly monitor the implementation of university development programs in accordance with established performance indicators.”

Anna Vasilyeva