Book Review: Kuzminov, Y., and Yudkevich, M. (2022). Higher Education in Russia. United States: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Abstract

     Well aware of the challenges presented by a thorough analysis of the higher education in Russia, Yaroslav Kuzminov and Maria Yudkevich make it very clear in the Preface of the book that their key idea was that “higher education is intrinsically intertwined with everything that happens in society, and thus with various social, economic, and political aspects of society’s functioning.” To this they add when they also point out that, in its turn, the higher education system shapes the intellectual elite by investing in new human capital, by spreading a system of values, and consequently enhancing the capabilities of individuals. As outlined in the same context, the authors focus on the performance of the higher education system with its quantitative, qualitative, and structural components, to which they add a clear explanation of the very design and features of these institutions as they continue to develop and change. The book is organized in 9 chapters, is introduced by a Foreword written by Philip G. Altbach, includes copious notes and references to help the reader fully understand the complexity of issues discussed throughout the volume, in an impeccable translation by Victor Sonkin, with a final revision done by Lisa Unangst.