Government Resolution No. 568 of 20 June 2014. It provides for creating institutional and information mechanisms and financial conditions for Russian nationals who independently enrol in full-time studies at the leading foreign educational institutions in master’s programmes, post-graduate academic and teaching programmes, and residency training programmes.
Reference
A draft resolution on support to Russian citizens who have independently enrolled with leading foreign educational institutions in programmes of recognized quality, up to the best standards, and on promoting their subsequent employment at Russia-registered companies in accordance with their new qualifications has been submitted by the Ministry of Education and Science.
The resolution was drafted in the pursuance of Presidential Executive Order No. 967 of 28 December 2013 On Measures to Strengthen Russia’s Human Resources Potential.
The draft resolution approves:
- a programme of social support to Russian citizens who have independently enrol led with leading foreign schools (hereinafter referred to as the Programme);
- regulations on the Programme’s Supervisory Council;
- rules for subsequently providing employment to Russians who received social support under the Programme;
- rules for repaying the support funds if their recipients violate the terms of the Programme, and for fining them.
The Programme provides for implementing measures designed to create institutional and information mechanisms and financial conditions in 2014-2016 for Russian nationals who independently enrol at leading foreign schools in full-time master’s programmes, post-graduate academic and teaching programmes, and residency training programmes.
Social support will be provided to Programme participants to cover their expenses for education at a leading foreign school, return tickets, medical insurance, accommodation, meals, training and academic literature, and money transfer commissions.
These measures will not be applicable to student exchanges and simultaneous education at a Russian university and a leading foreign school.
Programme participants will be selected on a competitive basis.
Programme participants will sign an agreement with the Programme’s NGO on the provision of support and sealing their commitment to accept employment at a Russia-registered company (hereinafter referred to as the employers’ organisations) in accordance with their new qualifications.
The employers’ organisations will be Russian universities, research and medical companies, and social and high-tech companies registered in Russia and meeting the requirements of the Programme.
Programme participants who fail to receive education or accept employment in accordance with the terms of the Programme will be obliged to repay the support funds in full and will be fined double the amount of the funds spent on them.
The annual subsidy per Programme participant shall not exceed the sum equivalent to 1,381,800 roubles. Funding will be provided accordingly if the duration of studies exceeds one year.
The Programme’s Supervisory Council will be responsible for the implementation of the Programme, control of the targeted spending of funds, transparency and governance efficiency. The Supervisory Council will also approve the procedure for and the quantitative criteria of the competition to select Programme participants, the procedure for determining quotas for the training of academic, teaching, medical and engineering personnel, as well as social management personnel within the Programme, and will also approve the list of employers’ organisations where Programme participants will be offered employment in accordance with Russia’s socioeconomic development priorities.
Under the draft resolution, the Ministry of Education and Science should create and approve the Programme’s Supervisory Council within three months.
These decisions are designed to accelerate modernisation processes and strengthen the efficiency of employers’ organisations, including those registered in the regions of priority socioeconomic development in the Far East and Eastern Siberia, by increasing the number of research, teaching, medical, engineering and social management personnel who received education at the leading foreign schools.
The Programme aims to:
- finance the training of at least 1,500 Russian nationals at the leading foreign schools in the professions and fields of training of priority importance for the Russian economy;
- provide employment to at least 1,500 Programme participants, who complete academic programmes at the leading foreign schools, at the employers’ organisations, including those registered in the regions of priority socioeconomic development in the Far East and Eastern Siberia.
Total federal budget financing under the Programme in 2014-2016 will amount to 4.41 billion roubles, to be allocated annually in equal portions of 1.47 billion roubles.
The resolution was drafted within the framework of the Global Education Project of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives.