Universities will count startups as a diploma

The Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation has developed a document in which it is proposed to allow students to count their own startup as their thesis.It is assumed that this practice can be introduced in universities as early as 2019.Russian universities generally supported the project, stating that they are ready to make the necessary changes to the rules for protecting diplomas.

Some universities are already introducing such practices into their curricula: for example, the defense of startups will be held for the first time this year at FEFU, where a business incubator created with the Far East branch of the Skolkovo Foundation operates.And about.FEFU rector Nikita Anisimov told TASS that this would allow students to acquire the skills they demanded.“Upon leaving the university, we will be able to receive not just graduates, but full-fledged residents of the technological cluster that is being created on Russky Island.Thanks to this, another equally important task of self-realization of FEFU graduates and the retention of talented youth in the Far East is being solved, ”he said.

Since 2012, the startup can be used as a master's thesis at ITMO: during this time, according to the university, more than 100 defenses have already passed, 60 companies have been created that have attracted more than 60 million rublesinvestment.It is planned to introduce a similar practice next year at the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University.

However, some university representatives believe that such changes will only hinder students from learning.The head of the innovation department and the head of the business incubator of the Yaroslav the Wise Novgorod State University, Vladimir Makarov, explained to TASS that "doing business for a graduate student is an additional and overwhelming burden.""It is unambiguous that this will greatly distract him from his studies. In addition, when defending a qualifying work, teachers, as a rule, do not want to see a certificate of business registration, but the knowledge gained. In addition, in my more than 30 years of experience, as a rule, the firststudent business is falling apart, "he said.

Abroad, this practice is widely used in many universities, especially inmaster's programs: as the final qualifying work, it is necessary to provide not a scientific research, but a real project, the topic of which depends on the direction of study.Many programs do not require the creation of a real project, but students must prepare a plan that can be implemented if desired.