Bologna process and the mechanisms
of international interaction in Russian higher education

The most radical stage of the Russian higher education modernization started in the 1990s due to essential changes in the political, economic and social situation in Russia. First, the adoption of the liberal law in tertiary education introduced autonomy of universities in academic and managerial fields. The following stages included formation of the non-governmental sector of tertiary education, diversification of study programs including multilayer structure of training (specialists, Bachelors and Masters) and new mechanisms of educational institutions financing.

Liberalization of society lead also to the intensive broadening of international contacts of the Russian higher education institutions both at the personal and institutional level and by means of participation in the international programs and projects. Within this international activity, abundance of donor resources and international organizations conducting activities in Russia, the European Commission program TEMPUS became most influential from the point of view of system approach.

Due to the participation in this program the leading Russian universities could implement the international cooperation mechanisms used in the European Union including introduction of credits, development of joint programs, organization of academic mobility etc. At the same time social-economic mechanisms gradually came into focus of the tertiary education reforms. The content side of the matter appeared to be beyond the limits of regular monitoring and support.

Academic mobility Russian priority in G8 agenda

The official joining of the Bologna process in 2003 and the international obligations connected with it were the logical continuation of the 10-year period of the tertiary education development in Russia. It was also – on the other hand – the incentive towards undertaking more structured and consistent measures within the framework of the state educational policy realization. The development of the national qualifications system, new generation of educational standards for two-layer system of training, introduction of credit-module schemes, modern quality assessment systems etc. were listed among such measures.

Recently the most effective steps were taken in the direction connected with the development of joint educational programs the total number of which (awarding two diplomas at the end of the course) is over 300. The absolute majority of such programs are developed in cooperation with European countries such as Germany, France and Great Britain. The Bologna process allowed to actualize the necessity of supporting the academic mobility in Russia and to put this issue forward as one of the priority Russian initiatives in the G8 agenda.

Similar roots of transformation both in Russia and China

The dynamic partnership of Russia with the European countries within the Bologna process framework made possible the search for common answers to global challenges and world trends. However globalization also puts forward more concrete tasks for the national educational systems – the tasks of improving their competitiveness in the world. The geopolitical position of Russia defines the necessity of analyzing and taking into account the demands of not just the European but also the Asia-Pacific and other regions.

For instance, the transformation of the tertiary educational systems of Russia and China has a lot in common due to the fact that the scale is pretty much the same and the both systems were based upon common organizational principles in the conditions of a planned economy. Particularly in both countries the similar measures are taken to avoid the direct state management, to support the leading universities be creation of the elite educational segment, introduction of unified state exam, broadening of international cooperation etc.

The bilateral cooperation between Russia and China is actively supported at the state level in different ways including the use of mechanisms adopted within the Bologna process realization framework but taking into account the national traditions. In particular the number of joint educational programs (similar to the Russian-European developments) is on the second place letting only Russian-German educational project number is higher. It should be noted that the great part of such programs with Chinese universities is developed for mono-layer training which exists in our countries alongside with the two-layer training.

Alongside with the important political, economic and cultural meaning of the Bologna process for the national systems of education the correlated educational policies, procedures and technologies are not less important. These instruments could be singled out and used for the effective cooperation both with the European countries and with other countries as well.