The reform of the scientific certification system and the defense of dissertations will be discussed in Kazan.

      A scientific and practical seminar dedicated to the development of the state certification system for scientific and scientific-pedagogical workers is taking place in Kazan. Representatives from the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia, universities, scientific organizations, and dissertation councils will discuss changes in the procedure for awarding academic degrees and titles, as well as practical issues related to the operation of the system. The main topic is the transformation of the scientific certification system and the redistribution of functions between the Ministry of Education and Science and the Russian Academy of Sciences. Participants will consider how the examination of dissertations will be organized, how the work of dissertation councils will change, and what requirements will be imposed on the certification files of applicants. A separate block is dedicated to practical issues: the formation and verification of certification files, the recognition of foreign academic degrees, the functioning of the network of dissertation councils, and ensuring the reliability of information about publication activity. They will also discuss the handling of mandatory copies of dissertations and abstracts submitted to the Russian State Library. Svetlana Ermakova, Director of the Department of Regional Policy, Education, and Project Management of the Ministry of Culture of Russia, noted the scale of participation and the significance of systemic changes. "Today, 295 representatives from 181 universities in 62 cities of Russia are participating in the seminar. This is a broad professional representation, and it is important that the discussion of such issues takes place jointly. In recent years, there has been a steady increase in the number of graduate students and doctoral candidates, with more and more young people choosing a scientific career. In this context, the issues of developing the state certification system and improving the work of dissertation councils acquire particular significance," she said. Rosa Akhmadieva, Rector of the Kazan State Institute of Culture, emphasized that the discussion is directly related to the development of the scientific school and the training of personnel. "For us, this scientific seminar is of great importance, as the training of scientific personnel is one of the key tasks of the higher education system. Behind science lies the development of the country, and this is directly related to the training of candidates and doctors of sciences. Representatives from universities from all over Russia have gathered in Kazan. This allows not only to discuss current problems but also to build cooperation between organizations, develop joint research, and strengthen scientific consortia," Akhmadieva summarized. On the second day of the seminar, an open dialogue format is planned, during which participants will be able to ask questions to representatives of relevant agencies and discuss practical situations arising in the work of dissertation councils and during the defense of scientific works.