Who is a scientist: graduates have a growing interest in natural sciences
In 2025, Russian applicants began to prefer natural science and engineering education instead of humanitarian professions. This became known on July 10 at Vladimir Putin's meeting on education. So, 9 thousand more graduates chose physics for the Unified State Exam than last year, and 20 thousand more specialized mathematics, noted Sergey Kravtsov, head of the Ministry of Education and Science. In general, school attestation this year was conducted without serious incidents. How schoolchildren relate to working professions today and what is the reason for the bright future of Russian tourism — in the material of Izvestia.
Which subjects did the students choose for the exam most often?
On July 10, Vladimir Putin discussed the situation with education in Russia in the Kremlin: final exams have already been completed in the country, and now applicants are preparing for admission. The meeting was quite intimate — representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers in charge of educational processes in the Russian Federation gathered at the same table with the president: Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, who is responsible for general and secondary vocational education, as well as the heads of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Education and Science Sergey Kravtsov and Valery Falkov.
— You and I have finished taking exams at school, we have passed all the graduations, and now another stage has begun — admission to special educational institutions, both secondary and higher. School teachers are taking vacations, but life continues, including preparations for the next season, logistical training," the president noted.
Sergey Kravtsov said that the pace of capital repairs of schools has increased 1.5 times: now more than 4 thousand buildings have been brought to a standard condition. According to Dmitry Chernyshenko's calculations, another 1,634 schools with more than 1 million places have been built. In general, the academic year was "positive and calm," and the Unified State Exam and the OGE were without serious incidents, the head of the Ministry of Education emphasized.
The admission campaign is now in full swing.: It began on June 20 and will last until August 12, including additional days. Russian universities have already accepted almost 5 million applications from applicants, Valery Falkov added. By the way, the Ministry of Education and Science has established an unprecedented number of budget places this year — over 619 thousand, with 73% transferred to regional universities.
— We managed to fulfill your assignment — to enter the top ten countries in terms of the quality of education. Now it is [indicator] 8.3. Of course, it will not be easy to keep it, the competition is high. A very good indicator is that our students show good results at international Olympiads in natural sciences. We have increased the number of medals, including gold, from 19 to 31," Dmitry Chernyshenko said.
Other achievements include a clear increase in the popularity of natural science subjects and engineering education among schoolchildren: this year, 10% more graduates than last year (about 9 thousand people) chose to take physics. The number of those who chose specialized mathematics has also increased from about 280 thousand to 300 thousand.. "And most importantly, we see that we have reversed the trend when we went to the humanities," Sergey Kravtsov emphasized.
The relevant committee of the Federation Council told Izvestia that physics, computer science, biology and chemistry were among the most popular elective subjects on the Unified State Exam this year, and this had not happened before.
— Moreover, the average score on the Unified State Exam of the students who chose physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology has increased. For example, more than 60% of those who took physics had an average score of over 60. About half of those who passed have more than 60 points in mathematics, chemistry, and biology. This is still a good trend," Lilia Gumerova, chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture, told Izvestia.
At the same time, Dmitry Chernyshenko estimates that there is considerable demand for colleges — 62% of ninth graders chose this path. An admission campaign has also begun there, and 200,000 more applications have already been submitted than last year. Schoolchildren go to work professions, and for some of them the competition reaches 40 people per place, the Minister of Education noted. "They have become interesting, these specialties," Vladimir Putin summed up.
How the higher education system in the Russian Federation is changing
Special attention was paid to the discussion of the new higher education system in Russia. The pilot project, which started in May 2023, is still in operation. Six universities participate in it — Moscow Aviation Institute, MISIS University of Science and Technology, Moscow Pedagogical State University, Baltic Federal University, St. Petersburg Mining University and Tomsk State University. As part of the pilot, students receive basic higher education and specialized education. Postgraduate studies are now considered a separate type of professional education for the training of scientific, pedagogical and research personnel.
— Today, the relevant department and I are actively working on the development of the regulatory framework. And, of course, the pilot developments, taking into account all the pros and cons, will then be implemented throughout the higher education system. There was a lot of debate in society about how long to study: four years, five, six or seven years. But today there is a clear understanding that there are specialties where higher education can be obtained in four years, as it was in our Soviet past, for example, primary school teachers, and a number of other specialties. Therefore, the legislation is being adjusted right now," Lilia Gumerova said.
More than 12,000 students are already studying under the new system, the head of the Ministry of Education and Science said. According to him, the program has been completely redesigned, primarily of an engineering and technical profile. An emphasis has been placed on practice, and the relationship with the labor market has been established. In addition, the president agreed with Falkov's proposal to include new universities in the pilot this year.
How domestic tourism is growing in the Russian Federation
In the midst of summer and vacations, the president asked about the state of the tourism industry in the country. Dmitry Chernyshenko estimates that Russians made about 90 million trips last year, but now the figure is reaching 98 million. To keep up the pace, the authorities are actively developing infrastructure in domestic resorts: subsidized interest rates and affordable loans are provided for entrepreneurs. About 80,000 rooms will be built with a total investment cost of 2 trillion rubles.
— Very interesting statistics. Lomonosov correctly said that Russia would grow into Siberia. By the way, it's amazing to maintain such dynamics over the years. This year, we also expect an increase of about 8% compared to last year. Now, as of the beginning of summer, the growth in the whole country was about 6% compared to last year, and in Siberia — 14% growth. That is, that's where such a large stream goes. Therefore, I think that tourism has a bright future," Dmitry Chernyshenko said.
The historical regions of Russia are also joining the development of domestic tourism: for example, in Zaporozhye they promise to provide year-round seaside resorts for 10 million travelers by 2030.
The President also asked about the development of student, scientific and educational tourism. It is developing rapidly, the Deputy Prime Minister assured. Dormitories are not empty during the summer holidays: they are occupied by visiting students from other regions. As for industrial tourism, there is an opportunity to visit various enterprises, complexes, and hydroelectric power plants. "It's all very interesting and attracts the guys," Dmitry Chernyshenko concluded.
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