Английский язык для студентов магистратуры = English for master's degree students. В 2 частях. Ч. 1. Учебное пособие

3. Education should be provided to all without discrimination of any

kind.

4.Education is an important commodity such as food, clothing and housing.

5.Modern graduates are not able to think broadly and apply their knowledge in the most unusual situations.

6.Higher professional education is a necessary fact of its time.

Use the following phrases:

INTRODUCTION TO TEXT 2:

VOCABULARY WORK

Task 2.1. Read and try to memorize the words and word combinations:

high-quality education for all citizens — качественное образование для всех граждан

literacy rate — уровень грамотность

compulsory basic education — обязательное базовое образование basic general education — основное общее образование

senior high school — старшие классы средней школы

91

secondary general education — среднее общее образование graduate — выпускник

higher education — высшее образование

higher education institution — высшее образовательное учреждение pursuit of smth [pəˈsjuːt] — стремление к чему-либо

bachelor's degree — степень бакалавра master's degree — степень магистра postgraduate studies — аспирантура

postgraduate higher education — послевузовское высшее образование to complete a research paper / project — завершить

исследовательскую работу / проект

to defend a diploma project — защитить дипломный проект to be awarded — присуждаться

under the guidance of a supervisor — под руководством научного руководителя

to sit for final examinations — готовиться к выпускным экзаменам to pass final examinations (exams) — сдать выпускные экзамены to carry out a research — проводить научное исследование

to prepare and defend a thesis — подготовить и защитить диссертацию

an original contribution to science — оригинальный вклад в науку

Task 2.2. Translate the words and word combinations without the dictionary:

tradition; mass-education system; Western European countries; an initial vocational school; a technical school; professional education; a joint professional and secondary general education; the Certificate of Secondary Complete General Education; prestigious [preˈstɪʤəs]; international educational organizations; geopolitical changes; international cooperation; accredited higher education institutions; personnel [pɜːsəˈnel]; the State Educational Standards; special courses in Science, the Humanities and Social-economic disciplines.

92

TEXT 2. EDUCATION SYSTEM IN RUSSIA

READING

Task 2.3. Skim the text and find out:

1. What levels of education are there in the Russian Federation? 2. When did Russia’s higher education system start?

3.What education did all of the population in Russia in the Soviet time have?

4.Is the pursuit of higher education considered to be very prestigious in Russia?

5.What levels of higher education are there in Russia?

6. What is a Bachelor’s degree?

7. What is a Master’s Degree?

1Russia has a long-standing tradition in high-quality education for all citizens. It probably has also one of the best mass-education systems in the world producing a literacy rate (98 %) exceeding most Western European countries. According to the Federal Law № 273 “On Education in the Russian Federation”, the education system consists of the following levels: general education, technical and vocational education, higher education.

•Compulsory General Education.

•Technical and vocational education.

Basic general education lasts for nine years. Graduates of this level may continue their education at senior high school to receive secondary general education, they may also enter an initial vocational school or a technical school. Secondary general education on the basis of basic general education continues for two years and ends when students are 17–18. Graduates from a secondary general school may apply for entrance to a higher education institution. Secondary education leads to the award of the Certificate of Secondary Complete General Education.

1 From “Education system in Russia”. — URL: https://www.studyrussian.com/russian- course/study-university-moscow/russian-education-system.html.

93

• Technical and vocational education.

Initial vocational schools offer one-and-a-half to two years' purely professional education or a joint professional and secondary general education for three to four years and skilled workers' training at different levels.

Technical schools also offer threeto four-year professional and secondary general education and two-year vocational training for holders of the School Leaving Certificate.

• Higher Education

Russia's higher education system started with the foundation of the universities in Moscow and St. Petersburg in the middle of the 18th century. The system was constructed similar to that of Germany. In Soviet time all of the population in Russia had at least a secondary education. The pursuit of higher education was and still is considered to be very prestigious. About 50 % of people have a higher education.

Due in great part to demands of the international educational organizations, the system of education in Russia started to change in the 90-s of the twentieth century. Russia entered the Bologna Process1 in 2003. Universities began transitioning to a system similar to that of Britain and the USA: 4 years for the Bachelor’s degree and 2 years for a Master’s degree. Technological and social changes, the need to find new ways to increase the competitiveness of Russian higher education on the world stage in connection with geopolitical changes that have complicated international cooperation in the field of higher education contributed to Russia’s withdrawal from the Bologna education system in May 2022.

1 the Bologna process [bəˈləʊnjə ˈprəʊsəs] — Болонский процесс, процесс сближения и гармонизации систем образования стран Европы с целью создания единого европейского пространства высшего образования. Его начало относится к середине 1970-х годов, когда Советом министров ЕС была принята Резолюция о первой программе сотрудничества в сфере образования. Официальной датой начала процесса принято считать 19 июня 1999 года, когда в г. Болонья на специальной конференции министры образования 29 европейских государств приняли декларацию «Зона европейского высшего образования», или Болонскую декларацию. Российская Федерация присоединилась к Болонскому процессу в сентябре 2003 года на берлинской встрече министров образования европейских стран.

94

Recent events, which include Russia's withdrawal from the Bologna education system owing to geopolitical changes that have complicated international cooperation in the field of higher education, lively discussions on how higher education in the country will further develop, the appearance of government documents, namely the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation “On some issues of improving the higher education system” (2023) and the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation “On the implementation of the pilot project aimed at changing the levels of vocational education” (2023) indicate that, that there is a large-scale process of creating a special model for the development of Russian higher education. According to these documents, this model will include:

–basic higher education where bachelor’s and specialist degree programmes will be implemented;

–specialized higher education designed for the implementation of master's degree, residency and assistant internship programmes1;

–professional education — postgraduate studies, the purpose of which is to train highly qualified scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel.

Higher education in Russia is provided by public and non-public (non-State) accredited higher education institutions.

• At present there are two levels of higher education:

1.Basic higher education (4–5 years) leading to the Bachelor’s degree, the first university level degree. This is equivalent to the B.Sc.2 degree in the US or Western Europe.

2.Postgraduate higher education (5–6 years or more). After two years, students are entitled to receive a Master’s degree. This is equivalent

1residency and assistant internship programmes — ординатура и ассистентура-стажировки.

2B.Sc. — Bachelor of Science — бакалавр наук, бакалавр естественных наук — академическая степень, квалификация, приобретаемая студентом после окончания обучения, которое длится от трех до шести лет, в зависимости от страны; степень обычно связана с техническими, природными и точными науками. Программы этой степени акцентируют внимание на математике, научных исследованиях, компьютерных науках и др. технических областях.

95

to a Master's Degree (M.Sc.1, M.A.2) in the US or Western Europe. After a Master's degree, students can continue to study towards a doctoral degree (equivalent to Ph.D.3).

•The Bachelor’s degree programmes last for at least 4 years of fulltime university-level study. The programmes are elaborated in accordance with the State Educational Standards. The programmes include professional and special courses in Science, the Humanities and Socialeconomic disciplines, professional training, completion of a research paper / project and passing State final exams. Having obtained the

Bachelor’s degree, students may apply to enter the Master’s programme or continue their studies in the framework of the Specialist's Diploma programmes. The Bachelor’s degree is awarded in all fields except

Medicine after defending a Diploma project prepared under the guidance of a supervisor and passing the final exams. In Medicine, the first stage lasts for six years.

•Holders of the Bachelor’s degree are admitted to enter the

Specialist Diploma and Master's degree programmes. Access to these programmes is competitive. The Master's degree is awarded after successful completion of two years' full-time study. Students must carry out a year of research including practice and prepare and defend a thesis which constitutes an original contribution and sit for final examinations.

The access to the post-graduate level again is very competitive. Candidates must hold a Specialist Diploma or a Master's degree. Studies

last for 3 years. The post-graduate course prepares for research and

1 M.Sc. — Master of Science — магистр наук, степень присваивается в области естественных и точных наук (астрономия, физика, биология, химия, медицина, естествознание и т.д.), может также присуждаться в технических областях (машиностроение, сельское хозяйство).

2 M.A. — Master of Arts — Магистр Искусств — академическая степень в области гуманитарных наук (лингвистика, антропология, философия, литература, дизайн, политология, социология, психология и т.д.).

3 Ph.D. — Doctor of Philosophy — завершающий этап высшего образования, используемый в большинстве Европейских стран и Америке, подразумевает под собой степень доктора философских наук или же совокупности других наук, без определения специализации; в Российской системе образования Ph.D. не подразумевает окончание обучения, в отличие от многих других стран. В РФ после кандидата наук и доктора, которые аналогичны Ph.D, предполагается получение степени доктора наук.

96

professorial activities. Students must learn teaching methods, ICTs1 and pass qualifying exams. They carry out independent research, prepare and defend a thesis in public. After that they are awarded the scientific degree of Candidate of Sciences which is a PhD-equivalent academic research degree in many post-Soviet and Eastern European countries, including

countries conferring the Candidate of Sciences degrees, a more advanced degree, Doctor of Sciences, is usually conferred as a higher doctorate. The Doctor of Sciences programme is specific and its duration is not fixed. It follows the Candidate of Sciences and is awarded after preparation and public presentation of a doctoral thesis.

VOCABULARY WORK

Task 2.4. Find in the text the English equivalents for the following Russian words and phrases:

давние традиции в области качественного образования; уровень грамотности; обязательное основное образование; высшее образование; выпускник; старшие классы средней школы; профессиональное образование; техникум; подать заявление на поступление в высшее учебное заведение; аттестат о среднем полном общем образовании; Болонский процесс; степень бакалавра; степень магистра; повышение конкурентоспособности российского высшего образования на мировой арене; выход России из Болонской системы образования; модель развития российского высшего образования; программы бакалавриата и специалитета; специализированное высшее образование; подготовка высококвалифицированных научных и научно-педагогических кадров.

1 ICT — information and communication technology — информационно-

коммуникационная технология.

2 ISCED — The International Standard Classification of Education — Международная стандартная классификация образования (МСКО) — это статистическая система для систематизации информации об образовании, которую ведет Организация Объединенных Наций по вопросам образования, науки и культуры (ЮНЕСКО).

97

Task 2.5. Find in the text sentences with the following expressions and read them aloud. Translate these sentences into Russian:

public and non-public (non-State) accredited higher education institutions; levels of higher education; the B.Sc. degree; postgraduate higher education; a Master's Degree; Ph.D.; full-time university-level study; professional and special courses in Science, the Humanities and Social-economic disciplines; to apply to enter the Master’s programme; to be awarded; a post-graduate level; under the guidance of a supervisor; competitive; to carry out independent research; to prepare and defend a thesis; to learn teaching methods and ICTs; to pass qualifying exams; public presentation of a thesis.

READING AND SPEAKING

Task 2.6. Read the text again for detail and answer the questions:

1.What tradition does Russia have in the field of education?

2.How long does basic general education last? Where can graduates of this level continue their education?

3.Who can apply for entrance to a higher education institution?

4.When did Russia's higher education system start? What education was Russia's higher education system similar to?

5.Is the pursuit of higher education considered to be very prestigious in the Russian Federation?

6.When did Russia enter the Bologna Process? Why did it happen?

7.What were the reasons of Russia's withdrawal from the Bologna education system?

8.What measures contribute to a large-scale process of creating a new model for the development of Russian higher education at present? What does this model include?

9.What levels of higher education are there in Russian system of higher education?

98

10.What is the first university level degree? How long do the

Bachelor’s degree programmes last? In accordance with what are these programmes elaborated? What do they include?

11.Where can students continue their education having obtained the

Bachelor’s degree?

12.After what is the Master's degree awarded? What must students do to get the Master's degree?

13.Is the access to the post-graduate level competitive? What must candidates hold? How long do studies last? For what activities does the post-graduate course prepare its students?

TRANSLATION

Task 2.7. Translate the sentences into Russian paying attention to the vocabulary of the text:

1.Why is the fight for access to quality education for all essential? Without education, no social, health, economic and political progress is possible. Investing in education is therefore essential for the future of the world.

2.According to UNESCO Institute for Statistics the literacy rate is defined by the percentage of the population of a given age group that can read and write. The adult literacy rate corresponds to ages 15 and above, the youth literacy rate to ages 15 to 24, and the elderly to ages 65 and above. It is typically measured according to the ability to comprehend a short simple statement on everyday life. Generally, literacy also encompasses numeracy, and measurement may incorporate a simple assessment of arithmetic ability.

3.According to the Federal Law № 273 “On Education in the

Russian Federation”, the education system consists of the following levels: general education, technical and vocational education, higher education. Secondary general education with 11 years of formal schooling is compulsory.

99

4.The term higher education institution (HEI) is used to designate organizations providing higher, postsecondary, tertiary, and / or third-level education. Higher education institutions include traditional universities and profession-oriented institutions.

5.A bachelor degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting four or more years (depending on institution and academic discipline).

6.It is not always easy to start a research process. When doing a master thesis, it is necessary to take into consideration that there is no previous experience in the scientific process. Usually, during the development of a master thesis, student and supervisor work side-by-side or at least with a stronger support from the side of the supervisor. It is expected to have the supervisor close by to clarify doubts or point ways.

7.At present there is a growing demand for postgraduate education given its strong projected association with socio-economic transformation at national and international levels among developed and developing countries alike.

8.To make Master's and PhD theses more influential on the evolution of the software industry, and to make them even more effective and successful, the authors of the article propose that they be directed towards developing cognitive systems and expanding the functionality of integrated big data platforms.

Task 2.8. Translate the sentences into English using the vocabulary of the text:

1.Качественное руководство в сфере высшего образования имеет решающее значение для вовлеченности студентов, их настойчивости и результатов обучения.

2.Студентам вечерних и заочных высших учебных заведений на период подготовки и защиты дипломного проекта (работы) предоставляется отпуск продолжительностью в четыре месяца.

3.Россия присоединилась к Болонскому процессу в сентябре 2003 года. В 2007 году президент РФ Владимир Путин подписал

100