OREANDA-NEWS. December 23, 2009. The President appointed Viktor Sadovnichy as rector of Moscow State University and Nikolai Kropachev as rector of St Petersburg State University.

A 5-year appointment contemplates that Mr Sadovnichy and Mr Kropachev will have to prepare and submit to the Government Cabinet within two months the programmes for development of their universities until the year 2020.

In November, the President signed a Federal Law defining a special legal status of Russia’s two largest universities. Under its provisions, the universities are recognised as federal state budget-funded institutions with the Russian Government being their founder and approving their charters. The universities’ rectors are appointed and released by the President of Russia.

In particular, the law stipulates that these universities can set independently their education standards and requirements and have the right to organise additional entry examinations and confer their own diplomas, which are equivalent in status to state-recognised diplomas.