Building World-Class Universities in Russia: Redefining the Relationship between Academic and Managerial Self-Governance

Guba, Katerina. "Building a World-Class University in Russia: Redefining the Relationship between Academic and Managerial Governance." Demokratizatsiya: The Journal of Post-Soviet Democratization, 2021. Project MUSE muse.jhu.edu/article/839813.

19 Pages Posted: 9 Apr 2021 Last revised: 8 Mar 2022

See all articles by Katerina Guba

Katerina Guba

Center for Institutional Analysis of Science & Education

Date Written: February 8, 2021

Abstract

This paper explores the influence of the Russian University Excellence Initiative (Project 5−100) on university governance structures. We conducted a qualitative study of the university, focusing on changes in academic and managerial self-governance. We found the following. First, the role of the administrators in university decision-making has been strengthened, especially the distribution of financial resources. Separate governing bodies were created from the central administration, the role of professional managers has become more prevalent in the Academic Council, and the tight control on academic departments was increased. These changes were brought about by the newly created role of rector, accompanied by new institutional capacities and financial resources. Second, although the university has called for the participation of academics in new initiatives, the formal governance structures remain relatively unchanged. Academics, including beneficiaries of the university transformation, have not gained greater formal decision-making power.

Keywords: Russian universities, Exellence initiatives, Science policy, University Governance, Academic Freedom

Suggested Citation

Guba, Katerina, Building World-Class Universities in Russia: Redefining the Relationship between Academic and Managerial Self-Governance (February 8, 2021). Guba, Katerina. "Building a World-Class University in Russia: Redefining the Relationship between Academic and Managerial Governance." Demokratizatsiya: The Journal of Post-Soviet Democratization, 2021. Project MUSE muse.jhu.edu/article/839813., Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3822375 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3822375

Katerina Guba (Contact Author)

Center for Institutional Analysis of Science & Education ( email )

3 Gagarinskaya Street
St. Petersburg, 191187
Russia

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

Paper statistics

Downloads
79
Abstract Views
563
Rank
630,412
PlumX Metrics