Russia and The Former Soviet Union
During the Soviet Union, the Higher Attestation Commission under the USSR Council of Ministers (also abbreviated as VAK) oversaw and controlled the awarding of advanced academic degrees and academic ranks in all of the USSR. With the fall and break up of the Soviet Union, separate Higher Attestation Commissions arose in the newly independent nations. For example, the Russian agency became the Higher Attestation Commission of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science, taking similar duties in the Russian Federation.
The responsibilities of the Russian Commission include:
- coordinating Dissertation Councils in Russian universities and research institutes;
- promulgating regulations concerning awarding of academic degrees;
- awarding the degrees of Candidate of Sciences and Doctor of Sciences, upon the recommendation of the Dissertation Council in the university or research institute where the defense of the dissertation took place;
- awarding the academic rank of Professor;
- making decisions on equivalence of foreign degrees awarded to Russian citizens.
The Higher Attestation Commissions in other nations have similar responsibilities.
Read more about this topic: Higher Attestation Commission
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