Interfax, Ekho Moskvy launch project to evaluate Russian universities

The Interfax International Information Group and the radio station Ekho Moskvy have launched a new joint project, which is aimed at making a rating of Russian universities.

In October 2009, ZAO Inform-Invest, a subsidiary of Interfax, signed a state contract with the Russian Federal Education Agency for the development of the foundations of an independent evaluation system and the formation of Russian university ratings.

The national rating model developed by a group of researchers is based on the following key indicators:

the university‘s educational activities (weight in evaluation- 0.2);
the university‘s research activities (0.2);
the university‘s social activities (0.15);
the university‘s international activities (0.15);
the university‘s brand (0.15);
public opinion on the university‘s activities (0.15).

The use of original methods helped divide ratings into two categories: "Classical Universities" and "Law Schools and Departments" (each category had 50 universities). In addition to direct research and analysis of statistical information, comprehensive sociological polls of rectors, employers, and experts were conducted.

The analysis of the information determined the following top ten universities in Russia:

Moscow Lomonosov State University (100 points)
St. Petersburg State University (68)
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technologies (National Research University) (62)
Russian University of People‘s Friendship (RUDN) (61)
Novosibirsk State University (55)
Russian State Pedagogical University of A. I. Gertsen (55)
Tomsk State University (54)
Nizhny Novgorod Lobachevsky State University (53)
National Research Nuclear University (MEPhI) (51)
Far Eastern State University (51)

The top ten law schools in Russia are:

Moscow Lomonosov State University (100)
St. Petersburg State University (82)
Moscow State Law Academy (MGYuA) (76)
Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University) of the Russian Foreign Ministry (MGIMO(U)) (75)
Urals State Law Academy (66)
Saratov State Academy of Law (63)
State University - Higher School of Economics under the Government of the Russian Federation (GU-VShE) (63)
Academy of National Economy under the Government of the Russian Federation (ANKh) (62)
Russian University of People‘s Friendship (RUDN)) (61)
Kazan State University (Povolzhye Federal University) (61)

Irina Artyushina, the head of the research group of the project National Rating of Russian Universities, believes that "the new system for evaluating the work of Russian universities is expected to become transparent and clear to representatives of all interested parties: educational administration bodies, university administrations, students and faculty, employers, university graduates, applicants and their parents, and representatives of professional communities."

Ekho Moskvy Editor-in-Chief Alexei Venediktov said that "the mission of our new joint project is to solve an ambitious problem, which is very important for the development of the entire education process: to form a national rating of higher education establishments, which will become global in the future."

Interfax CEO Mikhail Komissar said: "We are hoping this project will promote the development and improvement of the quality of educational services in the Russian Federation, and will also increase the competitive power of the Russian education system."

More detail on the project "National Rating of Russian Universities, the methods used to form its rating, and research outcome can be found at www.univer-rating.ru.