University crossroads

The concepts of modernization of high school yet, but students and teachers are already concerned about the possibility of merging universities
Yesterday was held picket barnaulskih students and teachers concerned about the possible association of universities. However Mairie piketchikam not allowed to go into the streets.
Do not rhetorical questions
Already a couple of months in teaching and student environment actively circulated rumours of a possible merger of several universities in a single barnaulskih University. The initiative group of classic and technical universities, concerned about future changes, prepared to resort boundary authorities to clarify the situation demanded. Yesterday it had intended to gather signatures under treatment ambush picket near the buildings of two universities. However, city council had not given permission to hold public shares. As explained by Chairman of the Committee on work with citizens Administration Barnaul Gennady Korolev, piketchikam was requested to defer discussion on the modernization of education in the Conference Hall Technical University.
One participant action team - Associate Professor of Philosophy Altai State University, PhD Kornev Vyacheslav told the correspondent "RG", which was already a month and a half in the province on the orders of the governor is working commission on mergers of universities, which is kept secret.
-- After the emergence of the Russian Federation Presidential Decree to establish a network of federal universities like all clear - Kornev said. -- No information came to us about some of the results of the Commission, which concluded that in Barnaul duplicated by two dozen specialties in different universities. Does this mean that a reduction of budget places, rates and teachers? Is the perspective reduction and dismissal? As in practice will be a merger of faculties and departments within the "federal university"? Before we did not bring this information.
Vyacheslav Kornev agrees that the Federal University - a serious state budget, prestige and high status, but in his view, the quality of education among merger does not podnimesh.
-- To increase the level of higher education must be addressed, primarily commercial affiliates and numerous universities - said the philosopher. -- Vytravit from universities should be corrupted, pretend to be teachers at all levels to curb the purchase of examinations, diplomas, dissertations. But instead of the universities to share admitted to a table and avoid the state budget, and at the provincial capital. All goes to the fact that this education will be available only in large centres, Barnaul and is unlikely to stand the competition with other Siberian megacities - Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Tomsk.
Premature fears
However, regional authorities believe that the concerns, but even more so for pickets and protests - no. According to the deputy chief of provincial administration for the Education and Youth Affairs Valery Barmina, such protests are caused by ignorance of the situation, as well as the desire to socially active representatives of science popiaritsya.
-- The problem is not yet available as such - convinced Barmin. -- Presidential Decree mandated the Government within two months to develop normativnopravovuyu base and organizational principles for the establishment of federal universities. So today there is as yet no regulatory framework, nor the principles of their organization. In the province administration really established a working group, composed of Altai rectors of universities and specialists offices. But we are only studying existing experience to create a federal university in Krasnoyarsk and Krasnodar and are considering our ability - availability professorsko7prepodavatelskogo shell material base of universities, demand for specialists. But we do not regard the concept of a university and the more the issue with anyone who combine, who cut. These issues are now meaningless to discuss, because there is no regulatory framework.
It is anticipated that the country will appear 10712 federal universities world-class research universities 2040 and 100150 regional universities. The main purpose of their creation - improving the quality of training on the most important regions for specialties. It will be achieved by improving the material base, by attracting qualified teachers and talented young people, both in the region and iz7za its limits. According to the head of regional management on Education and Youth Affairs Yuri Denisov, the task of the working group, organized in the administration of the province, just to identify those most important for the region's specialty, then to prepare a draft of a major university. Among those specialties Yuri Denisov called nanotechnology, biofarmatsevtiku, Agrotechnology, tourism and services sectors, high medical technology. When will be formed accurate list of prospective professions, the regional authorities will be able to decide which university to create a profile useful in the Altai Krai.
Chief provincial administration for Education promised that as soon as regulatory framework and on its basis in the region will be developed the concept of modernization of higher education, regional authorities are ready to make its deliberations public.
State University Rector Yuri Kiryushin also believes that while not discuss what.
-- We are ready to bring to wider discussion and the League of students and trade unions, and professorsko7prepodavatelskie teams, but only when at least kakie7to options for the establishment of a federal university - stressed Kiryushin. -- Now we are only exploring our opportunities and look forward to regulatory documents.

Commentary
Nikolai Cherepanov,
Vice-governor of province:
-- The main problem of higher education today - behind its quality and content of labour market needs. In the province of specialists surplus of socio-economic, humanitarian and pravovedcheskogo profile, but there is a shortfall of engineers, technologists, designers, production managers.
In our universities and branches of some 300 specialities today, but not more than 20730 of them can be attributed to vysokovostrebovannym. You can talk about inefficient use of budgetary funds as a result of abnormal and often inadequate training in a changing market structure. First of all concerned branches of non-state universities nonresident. New education system should follow the path of individualization of education when a student has the right to choose an individual program of study. We will promote access to education through social support, educational loans, switching to two-tier system of higher education. That is why the organization is working on federal universities. We are studying the possibility of a major university in the province of regional significance, which would resolve staffing problems, but this does not exclude the struggle for the creation of a federal university in the province.

Help "WP"
In Altai Krai, there are 8 state universities, 4 and 24 non-branch nonresident educational institutions. They enrolled nearly 96 thousand students, half of which is learning on a fee basis. This year's reception for fiscal 5670 will be training places that the 150 seats fewer than last year, and fewer school leavers to 267 people. Because of the ineffectiveness lifted the target for the admission of students from the provincial budget but operates contract-treaty system tuition fees at the expense of the employer.