Putin calls for streamlined university enrolment by 2026
The President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, has called for a reduction in excessive student enrolment in higher education for fields of study deemed "outdated".
- I request the government to adopt a comprehensive set of solutions aimed at improving the quality of paid university enrolment. By 2026, this should be conducted according to new principles. These should prevent excessive enrolment in fields that lack demand from the economy and the labour market – stated Putin during a meeting of the Council for Science and Education.
Many unnecessary specialists
He mentioned that entry into such fields "sometimes simply appears unattractive."
The President also observed that, for these specialisations, a "very low level of preparedness in specialists who ultimately are not needed by anyone" has been reported.
Earlier in the meeting, the Minister of Science and Higher Education, Valery Falkov, noted that the acute shortage of personnel in the labour market, particularly the lack of engineers, "undoubtedly requires regulation of paid university enrolment."
- Currently, fields such as economics, management, and law predominate. Paid enrolment should also be aligned with the needs of the state - emphasised Falkov.
In this regard, he requested permission for the Ministry of Science and Higher Education to approve plans for paid university enrolment "irrespective of their departmental affiliation."
An excess of lawyers and economists
Additionally, according to Falkov, preferential education loans with an interest rate of 3% should be available "only for candidates pursuing priority fields, primarily engineering."
- And currently, over one-third of the loans are granted for paid studies in economics and law, which clearly does not align with workforce demand - said Falkov.
Russian universities have already faced criticism for producing an "excess" of lawyers and economists.
As early as 2018, Rosobrnadzor noted that young people graduating in these fields had difficulty finding employment.
- This is the largest segment where Russian universities continue to educate students. The question is – why oversaturate the labour market when admission numbers are currently planned, coordinated with regions, and declared according to specific demand? Why produce ten times more lawyers and economists when they will not find jobs later? – exclaimed then Deputy Minister Natalia Naumova.
