The Ministry announced information to TASS that leading universities will begin implementing a new system starting September 1. A "mass transition" is planned for the 2027-2028 academic year and will affect all higher educational institutions in the country, regardless of their ownership and departmental affiliation. The Ministry of Education and Science assured that students will not notice sharp changes in the process. Ksenia Goryacheva, the First Deputy Chair of the State Duma Committee on Science and Higher Education, reminded that with the introduction of the new model, the "bachelor" and "master" formats will be abolished. The specialized level will represent an updated format of the master's program, including professional, managerial, and research tracks. Additionally, graduates of basic programs will have the opportunity to participate in competitions for budget places, which was previously unavailable. Starting September 1, 11 more universities will abandon the Bologna system, adding them to the six that have already participated in the pilot project, including Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, as well as Ural, Far Eastern, and Southern Federal Universities.
The refusal to adopt the Bologna system followed the onset of military actions in Ukraine. State Duma Deputy Speaker Pyotr Tolstoy noted that this decision is necessary to prevent "ideological defeat" and retain students in the country. Education Minister Valery Falkov emphasized that the education system should be based on the interests of the national economy.
In May 2023, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to begin the reform of higher education in Russia. The pilot project covers universities such as MAI, MISiS, MPGU, St. Petersburg Mining University, Baltic Federal University named after Kant, and Tomsk State University.
The Bologna system, adopted in 1999 as part of a unified educational space for several European countries, implies a two-tier system of higher education: bachelor's degree (four years) and master's degree (two years). Currently, 49 countries participate in the Bologna process, and Russia joined it in 2003.
