Integrity of the new System of scientific Attestation (on the example of academic degree attributes)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the consideration of the issue of regulatory and legal mechanisms for ensuring the integrity of the Russian system of scientific certification. Due to the growing variety of forms and rules of dissertation defense in dissertation councils of various organizations, the question of whether the modern system is capable of providing equal rights and opportunities for all applicants for academic degrees becomes relevant. To find answers to this question, the study identified three subsystems formed by dissertation councils under the direct supervision of the Higher Attestation Commission, leading educational and scientific organizations, as well as spiritual educational organizations. In order to consider the specifics of each of the groups, a comparative analysis of regulatory and legal acts regulating the awarding of academic degrees and their subsequent use was carried out. The conducted study revealed that with visible integrity, the overall certification system is quite heterogeneous. Firstly, academic degrees in various subsystems have different naming options, which creates a problem of their comparison. Secondly, with the same name, the conditions for awarding may differ significantly, which leads to inequality of applicants. Thirdly, if the conditions of certification are equal, holders of academic degrees receive rights and opportunities in different amounts. The identified problematic aspects require clarification at the level of federal legislation.