The kremlin tightens the screws on higher education for the sake of war
The number of self-funded spots in russian universities is being reduced. A corresponding draft law has already been submitted to the state duma. Priority will be given to “state-critical” specialties, while enrollment in other fields will be cut, tuition fees raised, and conditions for educational loans tightened.
▫️russian officials present this as a “reform.” In reality, however, the goal of these legislative changes is to make it significantly harder for young people to obtain higher education. The russian authorities want as many school graduates as possible to either pursue vocational training or join the military. In doing so, the kremlin aims to solve two problems at once — to compensate for battlefield losses and to address the labor shortage, particularly in defense industry enterprises serving the war effort.
Restricting access to higher education aligns with the kremlin’s strategy of militarizing society and shifting the economy onto a war footing.
