HIGHER EDUCATION IN BELARUS

There are 340 students per 10,000 residents of Belarus. This ratio is among the highest in Europe.

In the system of higher education of Belarus a broad network of educational establishments was shaped. Four major types can be distinguished:

· Classical university;

· Profile university or academy;

· Institute;

· Higher college.

Altogether there are 57 higher educational establishments, of which 43 are state owned (28 universities, 8 academies, 1 institute, 5 higher colleges, 1 higher school), 13 are private and 2 are run by religious organizations. Every establishment occupies its particular niche in training of highly qualified staff for various branches of national economy.

Graduates both from state and private universities are granted state diplomas of higher education. But it is not that easy to become a student. High demand on higher education led to high entrance competition regardless of form of study or specialty. Therefore only the very best can study at budget cost. The entrants who passed the entrance exams successfully but did not win the competition (did not get the necessary entrance score) have the opportunity to study for their own account. As regards tuition fee, it does not significantly exceed education services costs and stays within 500-3500 US$ for the most prestigious specialties.

3 forms of learning are available at Belarusian higher educational establishments: full-time, evening and by correspondence. Full-time learning is the most widespread and in the greatest demand with 2/3 of the students. Less than 1% of students use evening form of learning and over 35% of students learn by correspondence.

Full-time students with positive grades receive a monthly allowance. Its size depends on a student’s academic success. Some groups of students are granted social allowances; the gifted students are awarded with nominal scholarships. Correspondence and evening forms of learning are a good opportunity for persons with financial, age, physical and other limitations.

External studies represent another form of receiving higher education. It is based on the independent study of subjects from the regular curriculum. Credits and examinations are taken without obligatory attendance of classes. This form of learning is available to persons with secondary education, who cannot study full-time or leave their workplace. Diplomas are granted to external students on a regular basis.

A combination of various forms of learning is accepted, so is learning on individual curricula. But higher education in Belarus does not only mean lectures, seminars and exams. In addition Belarusian students participate in international scientific conferences and competitions, student exchange programs. Belarusian teams take first places at competitions in mathematics, economy and programming. Universities place at students’ free disposal sports facilities and library funds, encourage their creative activities.

After graduation the budget students are provided with the first workplaces. Finding a good job on specialty both in the republic and abroad is not a problem for paying students either.

Low cost of learning and accommodation, as well as high quality of academic education, good conditions of Belarusian diploma recognition abroad are just some of the reasons that attract foreign students. Annually about 3,000 students from over 70 world countries (China, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Poland, Jordan, India) study in the republic. Foreign students are offered a year’s preparatory Russian language course.

After university graduation young specialists have the possibility to get a postgraduate education with granting scientific degrees of Candidate of Science being the equivalent of PhD (postgraduate courses-aspirantura, adjunktura (military), assistentura (probation period)) and Doctor of Science (doktorantura). Regardless of pattern of ownership all higher educational establishments are subordinate to the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus. http://www.belarus.by/en/belarus/education/6/

Date: 2016-03-03; view: 1047