The Russian Rectors Union

The Russian Rectors’ Union (RRU) is the all-Russia organization, which unites up to 900 rectors and presidents of state-operated higher education institutions and up to 100 rectors of the leading non-government ones.

There are 10 academicians and 14 corresponding members of the Russia’s Academy of Sciences, academicians and corresponding members of Medical Academy, Academy of Agriculture, Academy of Education and other branch academies and three members of the Public Chamber of Russian Federation among the Union’s members.

All the unions of higher education institutions of Russia are the associated members of the Union, particularly Association of Technical Universities, Association for development of Educational Institutions, Association of Medical and Pharmaceutical Institutions, Association of Agricultural and Fishery Institutions, Association of Construction Institutions, Association of Transport Institutions and others.

According to the administrative division of the Russian Federation, there are seven federal branches of the Union, headed by local unions’ chairpersons. The RRU, Ministry of Education and Science and plenipotentiaries of the President of RF in regions coordinate their activities. Seventy-two subjects of RF have their local branches of the Union, too. The governing body of the RRU is the Union’s Congress, and between the Congresses – Union’s Council.

In compliance with its Chart, the RRU regularly holds the meetings of its supreme bodies – Presidium, Directorate, and Council – and convenes the Congresses. From the moment of its establishment, the RRU regarded as of paramount importance making education accessible to every Russian citizen everywhere in Russia, retaining its high quality, maintaining and augmenting its traditions, strengthening prestige of national education system both in Russia and abroad.

In nineties, at the socio-economic conditions of the utmost complicity, during the crisis of education system, the Union took upon itself full responsibility for problem solving. It found and implemented decisions to overcome these difficulties.

The growing prestige of the higher education in society is proved by the unparalleled in the world history increase in the number of students. There were 170 students in 1992 and 420 students in 2005 (by 10,000 of population) in Russia.

The Union had held eight Congresses with 1500-2000 participants. It is significant that the President of RF participated in the work of all the Congresses. The address of the President of RF Mr. V.V. Putin at the VIIIth Congress (June 8-9, 2006), dedicated to the problems of accessibility, quality and competitiveness of the higher education in Russia has become the program of actions for rectors’ community.

Practically every year Union’s representatives meet the PM and government members. These meetings resulted in government decrees, the compulsory regulations for executives in education field and the RRU for next year.

The Union actively participates in lawmaking, being in close contact with the State Duma and the Senate.

All the legislative drafts, related to legal relationship in the field of education and university science, are indispensably examined by the Union’s experts and are discussed in regional rectors’ unions. Lately, some amendments were offered by the Union to the legislative drafts to several Federal laws. Among them are the laws “About the higher and post-graduate education”, concerning the juridical status of the President of institution, the election procedure of rector and the implementation of the unified state exam procedure, “About autonomous institutions”, “Changes in the Federal law “About education”, “About forming and using of purpose capital of non-commercial organizations”.

Some Federal laws were adopted by the Union’s initiative. The draft of the Educational Codex, envisaged by the VIIIth Congress of the RRU, is now being worked out according to the Union’s initiative and with participation of the Union’s representatives. The prominent university lawyers are involved as experts in preparation of the Codex. The Codex’ mission is to be the program of the further modernization of legislation in the field of education, which will determine the current strategic goal – development of innovative-oriented, competitive State.

During the preparation of the new version of the Budget Codex (the Federal Law No 63-FZ), the Union’s legislative initiative was considered. The initiative envisaged the adoption of a Federal law, which will determine the principles of financing of budget organizations. The Union has started to work out the Federal law draft “About budget organizations”, which would describe the details of getting and using funds from paid services, donations from individuals, corporations, international institutions and foreign governments, and from other profit-oriented activities.

The RRU has established the close contacts and constructive interaction with the leadership and executive personnel of Ministry of Education and Science of Russia, Federal Agencies for Education, Science and relevant Inspectorates. About a quarter of the Union’s meetings are held in regions. These meetings become the important events in region’s life. Representatives of legislative and executive authorities, local student and youth organizations, hundreds of education workers participate in the meetings.

The RRU closely cooperates with the leading associations of employers. At the VIIIth Congress, the strategic partnership agreements were signed with Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Union of Industrialists and Businessmen, all-Russia public organization “Business Russia” and all-Russia public organization for small and medium enterprise “Russia’s Stay”.

The RRU actively cooperates with international and national rectors’ unions, paying special attention to the CIS rectors’ community. With active support of the RRU, the union of college directors was established in 1998. Now the union is our comrade and supporter in the field of education system’s development.

One can say that now the RRU is an influential power in educational society of Russia, which helps to solve problems in educational system and initiates most progressive ideas to modernize it. The RRU’s prestige helps to maintain the stable environment in Russia’s educational system and, the most important thing, in students’ community.

Businesslike and stable atmosphere in higher school institutions in Russia is surely an achievement of rectors’ community, headed by the RRU. It will help to solve strategic tasks in further development of national educational system.

President of the Russian Rectors’ Union
Rector of M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University
Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Viktor A. Sadovnichy