The Russian Rectors’ Union is an all-Russian public organization, uniting up to 1000 Rectors and Presidents of Government Higher Educational Institutions and up to 100 Rectors of the most prestigious Non-governmental Higher Educational Institutions. It was founded in 1992.

Structure and administration

In 1994 the Academician Victor Antonovich Sadovnichy, Rector of M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Vice President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, was elected as the President of the Russian Rectors’ Union, and he heads the organization till date.

Among the members of the Rectors’ Union are 20 Academicians and 16 Correspondent Members of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Academicians and Correspondent Members of the sectoral academies: Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Russian Academy of Education and others.

All the associations and unions of higher educational institutions are affiliated to the Union as associated members, among them being: Association of Technical Universities, Association for Development of Pedagogical Universities and Institutions, Association of Pharmaceutical and Medical Higher Educational Institutions, Association of Educational Establishments of the Agro-Industrial Complex and Fishery, Association of Construction Higher Educational Institutions, Association of Higher Educational Institutions of Transport, Association of Educational Establishments for Art and Culture etc.

Under the administrative division of the Russian Federation into Federal Districts the Rectors’ Union is made of 8 Federal Divisions, headed by the Chairman of the Councils of Rectors of Higher Educational Institutions of Federal Districts, whose activities are coordinated by the Rector's Union together with the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation and authorized representatives of the President of the Russian Federation, as well as 72 divisions in the subjects of the Russian Federation.

The highest governing body of the Russian Rectors’ Union is the Congress, and in the period between the Congresses it is the Union Council.

Tasks

Among the key tasks in the functioning of the Russian Rectors’ Union are increasing the availability of education for all categories of citizens, residing in all Russian regions, maintaining its high level of quality, preserving and building traditions, strengthening authority of the national education system in Russia and beyond its borders.

Some aspects of activity

The Rectors’ Union had held 9 congresses. From 1,500 to 2,000 people participated in the work of each congress. All the congresses of the RRU took place with participation of the President of the Russian Federation.

Practically every year the core group of the Rectors’ Union meets the Prime Minister and members of the Russian Government, and it ends with the adoption of government protocols, which to a greater extent define the general plans of work of the government authorities, supervising the sphere of education, as well as the Russian Rector's Union for the next year.

The Rectors’ Union participates actively in legislation, by interacting directly with the State Duma and Federation Council of the Federal Assembly. All drafts of laws, regulating legal relations in the sphere of education and higher educational institution science, undergo expertise at the Russian Rector's Union and mandatory discussion at the regional councils of rectors.

In April 2010 the President of the Russian Federation D.A. Medvedev supported the initiative of Academician V.A. Sadovnichy, President of RRU, on constituting a new law, directed at establishing a system of search and support in development of talented children. The Law shall serve the logical development of the initiative of the Rectors’ Union, proposed in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia and Russian Academy of Sciences, on setting-up the Russian Council of Academic Competition for school children which today coordinates the movement for intellectual competitions in Russia.

The Rectors’ Union implements the charity program for intellectual patronage of children with limited health capacities "Talent of overcoming".

The Russian Rectors’ Union conducts work on strengthening the role of Russian education in the international educational environment, asserting the principles of domestic educational traditions in it (the strategic initiative "New Educational Dimension" was adopted at the IX Congress of RRU), as well as the place of Russian Higher Educational Institutions in the global system of ranking.

In 2009 the Russian Rectors’ Union began interaction with the largest subjects in the sphere of global educational rankings, directed at improving the rankings of higher educational institutions. In March 2010 as a result of negotiations with representatives of the magazine Times Higher Education (THE), which constitutes the rankings of world's universities Times Higher Education World University Rankings and international information and analytical agency Thomson Reuters, the Russian Rectors’ Union became the communications operator of the Russian Higher Educational Institutions with THE.

The Russian Rectors’ Union conducts expert interaction in the sphere of international cooperation and global ranking of higher educational institutions with the International Observatory on Academic Ranking and Excellence of International Ranking Expert Group (IREG), Conference of the Presidents of French Universities (Conference des presidents d'universite de France), Conference of German Rectors (Hochschulrektorenkonferenz), Council of Ibero-American Universities (CUIB), Institutional Network of the Universities from the Capitals of Europe (UNICA), League of European Research Universities, International Association of Universities (IAU), European Universities Association (EUA).

Cooperation

In the course of its functioning period the Russian Rectors’ Union had built a system of constructive interaction with the administrative authority and apparatus of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation, Government and Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Economic Development of the Ministry of Finances, Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation and other government authorities,

A greater part of the sessions of the Russian Rectors’ Union takes place in the Russian regions, and for them the visiting sessions of RRU are an important event.

The heads of regional government authorities and legislative bodies, leading officials of all levels of education, representatives of the regional student and youth organizations take part in them.

In order to strengthen the strategic partnership of government, society and business in the sphere of development of education and science, directed at integration of education, science and production, the Rector's Union interacts with leading unions of employers.

At VIII Congress of the Russian Rectors’ Union agreements were concluded about strategic partnership with Chamber of Commerce of the Russian Federation, Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, All-Russian Public Organization "Business Russia", All-Russian Public Organization of Small and Medium Entrepreneurship "Opora Russia", and later agreement on partnership with the Union of Russian Machinebuilders.

The Russian Rectors’ Union conducts annually analytical study "Business and Education", directed towards coordinating the efforts of the higher educational institution community and business in preparation of candidates for innovative development of Russia. In 2010 as per the results of study the First national ranking of business partners of higher educational institutions of Russia was compiled.

The Russian Rectors’ Union strengthens partnership with public organizations by making contribution in the formation of civil society in Russia.

On June 29, 2010 an Agreement on partnership of the Russian Rectors’ Union and Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, directed towards creation of new mechanisms of public support of education and science was signed.

The Russian Rectors’ Union actively cooperates with international and national unions of rectors of higher educational institutions, providing special significance to the work with rector community of the CIS countries.

In 1984 the Union of Directors of Secondary Specialized Educational Institutions of Russia was founded with active initiative support of the Russian Rectors’ Union and later becoming the base and close associate of the Rectors’ Union on issues of development of the educational system.

Today it can be stated that the Russian Rectors’ Union is an influential force in the educational community of Russia, actively assisting in the constructive resolution of issues of educational system development.