Л.Ю. Галкина Higher education in Russia (Высшее образование в России)

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Degrees are conferred at two levels. The first, or Bachelor’s, full-time degree takes four years in most subjects. The most common baccalaureates awarded are Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Medicine and others.

The second, or Master’s, full-time degree courses for Bachelors normally last one or two years. The degrees conferred are Master of Science, Master of Arts, Master of Business Administration and so on. The basic idea of a master’s degree course is a combination of studying and research work. The aim of master’s programmes is to introduce the graduate students to the latest achievements in science and engineering, to help them learn modern research methods and to develop their research skills. On completing their work for a master’s degree graduate students submit their theses. These are small research projects carried out under the direction of supervisors.

It is possible to take a diploma. The diploma courses usually take five years in duration.

When completing a course of study undergraduates and students working for a diploma take the finals and submit their graduation papers. Graduation papers are prepared under the direction of supervisors and defended before a board of examiners. A graduation paper reflects the knowledge and the practical skills one has acquired in his subject area in the course of studying. Honours degrees and diplomas with distinction are given to those students who are more successful in their academic work and examinations.

VII. Suggest their English equivalents.

Охватывать различные специальности, обеспечивать обширную и прочную основу, профессиональные знания, курс очного обучения для получения степени бакалавра, знакомить магистров с новейшими достижениями науки и техники, осваивать современные методы исследования, развивать навыки исследования, выполнять небольшое исследование, под руководством научного руководителя, поступать в магистратуру/аспирантуру, представить выпускную работу/диссертацию на рассмотрение, приобретать знания и практические навыки, сдавать выпускные экзамены, защищать выпускную работу перед экзаменационной комиссией, в процессе учёбы, заканчивая курс обучения, получить диплом с отличием.

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VIII. Ask your group-mates these questions.

1.What programmes do the Russian higher educational institutions offer?

2.At what levels are degrees awarded?

3.What’s the title of a holder of the first /second university degree?

4.How long does it take to get a university degree /a diploma?

5.Do Russian students take the finals when completing the course of study?

6.How are people called when they take their first degree?

7.What’s the basic idea of a master’s degree course?

8.What’s the aim of master’s degree programmes?

9.What are the requirements for a bachelor’s /master’s degree /a diploma? 10. Who are Honours degrees given to?

11. Do you think baccalaureate degrees provide enough education for getting good jobs?

12. Which features of Russian higher education system do you like and which ones not?

UNIT 3

CANDIDATE OF SCIENCES AND DOCTOR OF SCIENCES DEGREES

Are you familiar with these words and expressions?

familiarize oneself with smth.	oзнакомиться с чем-либо
advanced a	продвинутый, повышенного типа
assistant professor n	доцент
department n	факультет; отделение; кафедра
head of (the) department	заведующий кафедрой
doctorate n	степень доктора наук
Cand.Sc./D.Sc. council	совет по защите кандидат./доктор. диссертаций
summon v	вызывать, приглашать (на защиту)
attainment n	достижение
confirm v	утверждать, принимать окончательное решение
Higher Certification Commission	Высшая аттестационная комиссия (ВАК)

I. Read these international words. Guess their meanings. Remember: they often have several possible translations.

Philosophy, extensively, theory, public, debate, original, form, indicate, procedure, position, committee.

II. State what parts of speech they are. Translate.

Hold – holder, science – scientific – scientist, during – duration – durable, familiar – familiarity – familiarize, extensive – extension – extensively, theory – theoretic – theorist – theoretical – theorize – theoretically, research – researcher, general – generally – generalize – generalization, defend – defender – defence, examination –

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examine – examiner, origin – original – originally – originate, assistant – assist – assistance, indicate – indication – indicator, relation – relate – related.

III. Study carefully the passage below.

Master of Science or Arts graduates and those who hold a diploma may continue towards a Candidate’s degree. As a rule, the duration of candidate full-time studies is three years. In order to get the Candidate of Sciences degree one must:

•familiarize himself extensively with general theory and other research in his field of study;

•pass the advanced-level examinations in philosophy, in a foreign language and in the field he is specializing;

•carry out independent original scholarly or scientific research, write a thesis on his findings and defend it in a public debate.

Candidate of Sciences degree indicates a higher level of attainment than a master’s degree in the same subject area. A holder of the degree may take the position of an assistant professor and that of the head of department. This degree is generally considered to be of an equivalent standard to well-known Doctor of Philosophy degree (Ph D) in Britain and America. In this case, philosophy has no special reference to philosophy; the name is invariable for all fields.

Doctor of Sciences, the highest degree, is awarded on the defending the thesis, which must be an original contribution to knowledge. The duration of doctoral studies varies in length. A doctorate gives to its holder the right to become a professor or the head of department.

The procedure for awarding the degrees is as follows. The person applying for the degree submits his thesis to the committee of professors who are specialists in the candidate’s field. They study the thesis and then summon the candidate to an oral examination where he (she) is questioned on his (her) thesis, and sometimes on other related topics. The oral is open to the public. After the oral the members of the specialized Cand.Sc. /D.Sc. council come to a joint decision and either accept or reject the thesis. Occasionally a thesis is referred back, which means that some fault(s) must

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be made right before the thesis is accepted. The degrees and titles are confirmed in the Higher Certification Commission (VAK).

IV. Express your opinion on these statements using the phrases in the box.

I, for one, think /believe; that’s (not) right /true/correct; I’m afraid; I’m not sure; in my view; as for me; as far as I know; I quite/completely/entirely agree

1.There are two higher degrees awarded in Russia.

2.The first higher degree is a doctorate.

3.The decision to award any higher degree is made by the Higher Certification Commission.

4.The requirements for a doctoral and a candidate thesis are about the same.

5.Only a holder of a doctorate can become a professor.

6.As a rule, a doctoral thesis follows a candidate’s one.

7.It is not necessary to pass any exams before submitting a candidate’s thesis.

V. Speak on the levels of higher education in Russia using the communicative scheme on page 15.

UNIT 4

INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN KUZBASS

I. Read the passage below.

In Kuzbass one can develop his knowledge and skills at 15 higher educational institutions mostly located in Kemerovo. Among them there are the University of Kemerovo, the Kuzbass State Technical University, the Medical Academy, the Academy of Culture and Arts, the Technological Institute of Food Industry, the Institute of Economics and Law, the Agricultural Institute, etc. Two major higher schools – the Siberian State Industrialized University and the Pedagogical Institute are in Novokuznetsk. Besides, there are numerous branches of various higher educational establishments in different towns of the region.

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Over 4 000 lecturers and instructors are on their staffs, 405 of them having Doctor of Sciences and more than 1940 – Candidate of Sciences degrees. More than 46 000 out of nearly 82 000 students are on full-time. Students are trained in 147 subject areas.

II. Ask your group-mate the following questions.

1.How many higher educational institutions are there in Kuzbass? Can you name them?

2.Where are most of them located?

3.Which of them is the largest one?

4.How many students are there in Kuzbass?

5.How many of them are on full-time?

6.What can you say about scientific and pedagogical potential of the Kuzbass higher educational establishments?

7.Are the Kuzbass higher schools in step with life?

8.Are there any private higher educational establishments in your region?

III. What other questions could you ask?

KUZBASS STATE TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

UNIT 1

HISTORY

Do you know the meaning of these words?

major a	главный; крупный
mining a	горный
n	горное дело; горная промышленность
hold classes	вести занятия
classroom building	учебный корпус
space n	пространство; площадь, место
accomplish v	совершать, выполнять; достигать
~ment n	достижение; благоустройство
plot n	участок (земли)
tremendous a	огромный, громадный
enrol(l) v	вносить в список учащихся
~ment n	общее количество, списочный состав учащихся
facilities	возможности, условия; оборудование; сооружения
assume v	принимать, присваивать

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I. Read these international words. Guess their meanings. Remember: they often have several possible translations.

Centre, lecture, instructor, rector, figure, practice, rent, administrative, occupy, metre, accredit, period, polytechnic, definition, title.

II. State what parts of speech they are. Translate.

Lecture – lecturer, instruct – instructor – instruction, speed – speedy, grow – growth, occupy – occupation, accomplish – accomplishment, construct – construction – constructor, administrate – administration – administrative, define – definition – defining.

III. Read the following meanings of the word in italics and then translate the sentences below.

number n quantity, amount; v amount to

1.In 1950 the student body numbered only 300 persons.

2.The number of full-time students is 6 900.

3.We number 20 in all.

4.What’s the number of people coming to see the Motor Show?

IV. Read the passage below and give a free translation of it.

The Kuzbass State Technical University, KuzSTU for short, is one of the major institutions of higher learning and research centres in West Siberia. It was founded in 1950 as the Mining Institute becoming the seventh higher mining school in this country. At that time the student body numbered only 300 persons and there were fewer than 20 lecturers and instructors. Its first rector was T. F. Gorbachov, a prominent figure in the mining science and practice. For some eight years the Institute held classes in space rented from the Mining Technical School based on the right bank of the river Tom. The first graduating class of 1955 numbered 236 people, twelve of them taking diplomas with distinction. The Institute began a period of a speedy growth under the leadership of Professor P.I. Kokorin. One of his accomplishments was the construction of the administrative and classroom building that occupied a 17,500-square meter plot of land in the centre of Kemerovo. The sixties-eighties (under V.G. Kozhevin and M.S. Safokhin) were the years of tremendous growth in enrolment and facilities. In 1965 the Mining Institute was accredited as the Kuzbass Polytechnic. The late eighties and early

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nineties were the defining period in the history of the Institute. In 1993 it assumed a title of technical university.

V. Suggest their English equivalents.

Один из крупнейших исследовательских центров, седьмой горный вуз страны, называть кратко, общее число студентов, под руководством, ускоренный рост, арендовать площади, проводить занятия, первый выпуск, получить диплом с отличием, учебный корпус, определяющий период в истории университета, огромный рост числа студентов и возможностей вуза, принять звание технического университета.

VI. Complete the chart with some important events in the life of the University.

date	event
1950
1955
1965
1993

VII. Ask some Yes/No and Whquestions on the passage.

VIII. Using the chart above speak on the important events in the life of the University.

UNIT 2

FACULTIES AND BRANCHES

Check the following vocabulary.

compose v	составлять
mine n	шахта, рудник
liberal arts	гуманитарные науки
extra-mural a	заочный
branch n	филиал, отделение
opportunity n	благоприятная возможность
available a	доступный, имеющийся в распоряжении
create v	творить, создавать
teaching staff	профессорско-преподавательский состав
win v (won, won)	победить, выиграть
enter v (the) university)	поступать (в университет)

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I. Read these international words. Guess their meanings.

Olympiad, electrical, technology, machine, military, information, career, physics, mathematics, coordinate.

II. State what parts of speech they are. Translate.

Mechanic – mechanics – mechanical – mechanize, chemistry – chemical – chemist, economy – economic – economist – economics, prepare – preparation – preparatory, act – action – active – activity – interaction, prefer – preference – preferential, conductor – conduct – conduction – conductivity, assistant – assistance – assist, enter – entrance – entry, apply – applicant, create – creation – creator – creational – recreational, win – winner.

III. Read the following meanings of the word head and then translate the sentences below.

head n ruler, chief, smb. in the position of command; v be at the head or top of

1.The Prime Minister of Great Britain heads the government.

2.The head of the University is the Rector.

3.Chairpersons head University’s departments.

IV. Read the passage.

The University is composed of nine faculties, those of mining, mining electrical and mechanical engineering, chemistry and chemical technology, mechanics and machine building, mine construction, economics, arts, extra-mural education, military training with numerous courses within them. There are 53 departments. Students are trained in 34 subject areas of technical and engineering science. The University has got its branches in six other towns of Kuzbass. There is also a preparatory department. The University’s Centre of Pre-Higher Education coordinates programmes for pupils of senior forms applying to the University. It assists them in obtaining the necessary information about admission to the University and career opportunity available to its graduates, creates interaction between them and teaching staff members of the University, organizes Olympiads in physics, mathematics, and chemistry. The winners have got the preferential right to enter the University.

V. Say these in English.

Электротехника, заочное обучение, военная подготовка, иметь филиалы в других городах, инженерно-техническая наука, центр довузовской подготовки, подгото-

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вительное отделение, получать необходимую информацию о приёме в университет, имеющиеся возможности продвижения по службе, создавать взаимодействие, проводить олимпиады по различным предметам, обладать преимущественным правом.

VI. Find synonyms.

a)assist, extra-mural students, the humanities, build, be made up of, branch, get;

b)unit, construct, obtain, help, correspondence students, be composed of, liberal arts

VII. Answer these questions.

1.How many faculties is the University composed of?

2.Could you name them, please?

3.Does the University have branches in other towns of the region?

4.How many departments are there in the University?

5.Has the University got a preparatory department?

6.In how many subject areas of technical and engineering science are students trained at the University?

7.What are the functions of the University’s Centre of Pre-Higher Education?

8.The winners of Olympiads have got the preferential right to enter the University, haven’t they?

UNIT 3

TEACHING STAFF AND STUDENTS

Are you familiar with these words and expressions?

current a	текущий, теперешний
faculty n	факультет; профессорско-
	преподавательский состав кафедры (Аm E
employ v	– университета)
	предоставлять работу
senior teacher	старший преподаватель
earn v	зарабатывать; заслуживать
corresponding member	член-корреспондент
invent v	изобретать
scholar n	учёный
active professional	специалист-производственник
ratio n	соотношение
be responsible (for)	быть ответственным (за)
be in charge (of)	заведовать, отвечать (за)
run v	руководить, управлять
affair n	дело, занятие
managerial a	ведающий хозяйством
dean n	декан

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sub-dean n	зам. декана
deal v (dealt) (with)	иметь дело (с)
matter n	вопрос, дело
progress n	успеваемость
pick up information	получать информацию, сведения
bulletin board	доска объявлений
announce v	объявлять, сообщать
active professionals	производственники

I. Read these international words. Guess their meanings. Remember: they often have several possible translations.

Pro-rector, progress, natural, professionals, contact, commercial, discipline, business, policy, total, prize, bulletin.

II. State what parts of speech they are. Translate.

Current – currently, academy – academician – academic, invent – invention – inventor

– inventive, honour – honoured – honorary, announce – announcement, response – responsible – responsibility – responsive, day – daily, employ – employer – employee – employment – unemployment – unemployed, natural – nature – naturally.

III. Read the following passage.

Currently the University employs over 700 teaching staff members (teachers/instructors (Am E), senior teachers, assistant professors, professors). More than half of them have academic degrees and honorary titles. Each of ten faculty members earned doctorate. There are about 70 academicians and corresponding members of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences and other academies, state-prize winners, honoured scholars and inventors. There are also active professionals who share with students their daily experience in industries.

The student-teacher ratio at the University is 14:1. The KuzSTU has a total number of 11,120 students. The number of full-time students is 6, 890. Besides, over 9,000 students are on full and part time at the University’s branches.

The head of the University is the rector, elected for a term of five years. He is responsible for the general policy and organization of the University. Pro-rectors are also involved in its running. They are in charge of academic affairs, research, external