Over the past decade, Russia and its neighbors have launched an array of reforms in higher education administration. The introduction of multi-level educational systems and dramatic changes to increase the quality of higher education according to the Bologna Process have been key goals. The obstacles Russia has faced and lessons learned provide valuable insight for other countries facing similar challenges—not only throughout Eurasia but throughout the world.
To enhance communication among nations in this area, over one-hundred university and Ministry of Education and Science representatives from nine countries came together in Moscow this past December to discuss key issues at a one-day conference entitled “International Models and Best Practices in University Quality Assurance and Faculty Development.”
The event, organized by IREX under the auspices of the University Administration Support Program (UASP) [18] and funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Starr Foundation, provided a unique opportunity for participants from Armenia, China, Georgia, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Ukraine, and the United States to examine important issues in higher education from international perspectives.
University leaders from China, Russia, and the United States delivered presentations on the current challenges of faculty development and quality assurance in their home countries and universities. Funding shortages and difficulties winning administration support for such programs were recurrent themes, and Russian UASP alumni and American guests shared strategies for addressing these obstacles. The alumni, who completed eight-week fellowships at US universities researching administration issues and then implemented reform projects upon return to their home universities, also presented models for faculty development and the criteria and evaluation of quality teaching and performance management. Conference participants received copies of the presentations as well as a compilation of over 50 case-study reports developed by Russian UASP alumni as a result of their experiences and research under the program.
The Eurasian conference participants in particular share common history and similar systems of higher education, leading them to common challenges as they work toward systemic reform. As one Ukrainian participant noted, “Russia, Ukraine, and the other Eurasian countries here at the conference come from the same system and most of the obstacles we are facing in our administrative reform efforts are similar. I and my Ukrainian peers are very impressed with the results our Russian colleagues have achieved through the UASP pilot project…. We have only more to learn from future collaboration and sharing.”
Many university leaders and faculty colleagues are resistant to change in curriculum and management styles. To address this problem, panel discussions discussed methods for effectively overcoming resistance when implementing reform and strategies for managing smooth transitions. Several progressive universities in Russia have already begun implementing changes, such as joint partnerships with Western institutions, the creation of faculty development and quality assurance offices, implementation of credit systems, and faculty and student exchanges.
The event provided all participants with an open forum for sharing ideas and discussing both the best practices and challenges in implementing quality assurance and faculty development programs in higher education institutions internationally. In addition, the international conference fostered the establishment of valuable relationships among participants and built a resource and information network on quality assurance and faculty development across the globe.
