Legal Regulation for Ensuring the Integrity of the Russian Scientific Certification System

Abstract

This article is devoted to the issue of preserving the integrity of the Russian state system of scientific certification in the context of the growing diversity of regulatory and legal acts, as well as practices for awarding academic degrees. The recent expansion of the autonomy of a number of scientific and educational organizations raises a number of doubts, primarily related to the ability to ensure equal rights and opportunities for applicants for academic degrees in different parts of the system. This article provides a comparative analysis of state acts and regulatory acts of organizations that carry out procedures for the independent awarding of academic degrees. In the course of this study, three subsystems were identified that operate according to comparable rules but provide different rights and opportunities. The first subsystem is dissertation councils under the leadership of the Higher Attestation Commission and Russia’s Ministry of Education and Science. There, a place is occupied by special dissertation councils, in which the applicant avoids the publication of articles and the text of the dissertation, as well as other publicity requirements. The second subsystem is formed by scientific and educational organizations found on a special list. Similar norms and requirements apply within the framework of their local regulations, but there are also noticeable differences. These include reducing the number of dissertation councils, including candidates of sciences in them, the possibility of defending a candidate's thesis in the form of a scientific report, etc. The third subsystem includes spiritual education organizations awarding theological degrees. The ambiguity of the attitude toward such degrees remains at the federal legislation level. Theological degrees are recognized along with other academic degrees during state licensing and accreditation procedures, but their holders are not guaranteed mandatory surcharges, apostille affixing, etc. The analysis made it possible to identify indicators that are important for checking the integrity of the system and determining the direction of its improvement.