Postgraduate Course as a Level of Higher Education: Status, Problems, Possible Solutions

The article analyzes the features of the “new” postgraduate course programs that have been implemented in the system of higher education in Russia since 2013. The article also identifies and describes the most vulnerable areas of the “new” postgraduate course and looks at solutions to the identified issues. The analysis of the features and the classification of the problems related to the implementation of doctoral studies as the third level of higher education are based on the results of analytical and sociological researches conducted in Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow Pedagogical State University, Association of the Classical Universities in Russia in 2017–2018. When formulating their recommendations on overcoming the challenges facing “new” doctoral education, the authors took into consideration the draft law “About scientific, technical, and innovation activities”, the key priorities of the National project “Science”, and the approaches to the creation of a new qualification system of scientific, research and pedagogical personnel.

1. Senashenko, V.S. (2016). [Problems of Postgraduate Training Organization and Development on the Basis of the Federal State Educational Standards of the Third Level of Higher Education]. Vysshee obrazovanie v Rossii = Higher Education in Russia. No. 3 (199), pp. 33-43. (In Russ., abstract in Eng.)

2. Bednyi, B.I., Rybakov, N.V., Sapunov, M.B. (2017). [Doctoral Education in Russia in the Educational Field: Interdisciplinary Discourse]. Sotsiologicheskiye issledovaniya = Sociological Studies. No. 9, pp. 125-134. (In Russ., abstract in Eng.)

3. Raychuk, D.Yu, Minina, N.V. (2016). [About positioning postgraduate school in a three-tier system of higher education]. Vysshee obrazovanie v Rossii = Higher Education in Russia. No. 4 (200), pp. 33-41. (In Russ., abstract in Eng.)

4. Allakhverdian, A. G. (2014). [Public Education of Graduate Students in Soviet and Post-Soviet Science: A Comparative Analysis]. Voprosy Istorii Estestvoznaniia i Tekhniki [Studies in History of Science and Technology]. Vol. 35, no. 1, p. 111-118. (In Russ.)

5. Bednyi, B.I. (2017). [A New Postgraduate School Model: Pro et Contra]. Vysshee obrazovanie v Rossii = Higher Education in Russia. No. 4, pp. 5-16. (In Russ., abstract in Eng.)

6. Karavaeva, E.V., Malandin, V.V., Pilipenko, S.A., Teleshova, I.G. (2015). [The First Experience of Design and Implementation of Post-Graduate Training and Professional Development of Faculty Members Programs as Programs of the Third Level of Higher Education: Identified Issues and Feasible Solutions]. Vysshee obrazovanie v Rossii = Higher Education in Russia. No. 8/9, pp. 5-15. (In Russ., abstract in Eng.)

7. Rogozhin, N.M., Malandin, V.V., Artamonov, G.A. (2016). [The Problems of Educating Post-graduate Students on the Programs “Historical Studies”]. Rossiskaya Istoriya [Russian History]. No. 6, pp. 168-170. (In Russ.)

8. Gruzdev, I., Terentev, E. (2016). Life after PhD: What Careers Do PhD Students in Russia Consider? // Higher Education in Russia and Beyond. №3 (9). Pp. 20–21.

9. Rybakov, N.V. (2018). [A New Model of Russian Postgraduate Education: Monitoring of the First Graduation of PhD Students Majoring in Social Studies and Humanities]. Vysshee obrazovanie v Rossii = Higher Education in Russia. Vol. 27. No. 7, pp. 86-95. (In Russ., abstract in Eng.)

10. Dushina, S.A., Ascheulova, N.A. (2013). [Postgraduate Studies in National Academic Systems (experience of Germany and USA)]. Vestnik MGIMO-universiteta = MGIMO Review of International Relations. No. 2, pp. 170-177. (In Russ., abstract in Eng.)

11. Bol’shova, N.N. (2010). Aspirantura: opyt universitetov Zapada [Postgraduate Studies: Experience of West Universities]. Available at: https://mgimo.ru/files2/y08_2010/160572/Aspirantura_Bol6ova.pdf (In Russ.)

12. Nechaev, V.D. (2016). [Modernization of the Russian Doctoral Programs in Education: The Search of Models in an International Context]. Vysshee obrazovanie v Rossii = Higher Education in Russia. No. 6 (202), pp. 16-33. (In Russ., abstract in Eng.)

13. Vorobieva, O.V., Teleshova, I.G. (2018). [Research Activities in the European Qualifications System: Experience and Problems]. Vysshee obrazovanie v Rossii = Higher Education in Russia. Vol. 27. No. 5, pp. 74-86. (In Russ., abstract in Eng.)

14. European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/ ploteus/en/content/descriptors-page

15. Analysis and overview of NQF level descriptions in European Countries. Working Paper No. 19. European Center for the Development of Vocational Training. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2013.

16. Towards a European Framework for Research Careers. Available at: https://www.hrk.de/fileadmin/redaktion/hrk/02-Dokumente/02-05-Forschung/Forschermobilitaet/Towards_a_European_Framework_for_Research_Careers_-_21_July_2011__final_.pdf

17. Bednyi, B.I., Kuzenkov, O.A. (2016). [Integrated «Academic Master – PhD» Educational Programs]. Vysshee obrazovanie v Rossii = Higher Education in Russia. No. 5, pp. 21-32. (In Russ., abstract in Eng.)

18. Karavaeva, E.V. (2018). Issledovatel’ XXI veka: formirovanie kompetentsii v sisteme vysshego obrazavaniya [Researcher of the XXI Century: Development of Competencies in Higher Education System]. Moscow: Geoinfo Publ., 240 с. (In Russ.)