Minister Falkov approved a new nomenclature of scientific specialties

The head of the Ministry of Education and Science Valery Falkov approved by his order a new nomenclature of scientific specialties in which scientific degrees will be awarded in Russia. First and foremost, the list has become shorter and more relevant. The document, as it should be in such situations, is officially registered by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation.

This decision crowns a two-year expert work of a large team of scientists and specialists representing the Russian Academy of Sciences, leading universities and research institutes, as well as the Higher Attestation Commission.

As the chairman of the Higher Attestation Commission Vladimir Filippov explained the day before, the work was carried out taking into account the previously adopted Strategy for Scientific and Technological Development of the Russian Federation and was supported at a joint meeting of the Presidium of the State Council and the Council for Science and Education under the President of Russia in February last year.

For what purpose was this done and what was expected at the exit? The goal was not one, but several at once.

First, it was necessary to update and update the name of scientific specialties, which is recognized as necessary and is periodically done not only in Russia, but also in other countries. "By introducing new specialties, grouping in a different way the previously adopted and established ones, we thereby create the preconditions for the concentration of efforts of the scientific community on the development of promising scientific areas," declares in the profile department of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia.

Secondly, they considered it necessary to enlarge scientific specialties, in order to thereby target scientists and applicants for scientific degrees to the development of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research. This is a global trend now.

The new list of scientific specialties and their names themselves were formed with an eye to the integration of Russian science into the international scientific space. In particular, the recommendations and rules adopted in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) were taken into account.

The expert and coordinating work on updating the nomenclature of scientific specialties was based on proposals received from 330 organizations: research institutes, universities, RAS and other state academies, from state funds for supporting scientific, scientific, technical and innovative activities.

The working group created under the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia included 66 experts. Four subgroups by areas of knowledge were headed by Alexei Khokhlov, Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Vladimir Vasiliev, Rector of ITMO, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences (natural sciences, physics, mathematics, and technical sciences); Rector of RANEPA Vladimir Mau and Dean of the Faculty of Political Science of Moscow State University Andrey Shutov (humanities and socio-economic sciences); RAS academicians Elena Golukhova and Igor Reshetov (medical and pharmaceutical sciences); Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Irina Donnik (agricultural and agroengineering sciences).

With their knowledge and with their active participation in the final version of the nomenclature, the total number of scientific specialties decreased by 18 percent: from 430 to 351. And the number of groups of scientific specialties decreased by a third, from 52 to 34.

But at the same time, 21 new scientific specialties and four new groups of specialties were added to the list, namely: computer science and informatics; biotechnology; subsoil use and mining sciences; cognitive sciences. The list of new scientific specialties with their codes and binding to the field of scientific knowledge looks like this:

Comment

Vladimir Filippov, Chairman of the Higher Attestation Commission:

- Renewal of the nomenclature of scientific specialties is a natural result of the development of science itself. On the other hand, there is an urgent need for the system of attestation of scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel, which has developed in our country and should be improved. I would like to note that the previous nomenclature did not change for almost 12 years - only two new specialties were added: theology and plastic surgery. And this despite the fact that new directions in science are being born rapidly.

More and more research is being conducted at an interdisciplinary level. It was for this reason that it was decided to enlarge and expand the range of scientific specialties. In many cases, two related specialties are combined into one - under a different, more general name.

What else is important? Along with the approval of the new nomenclature of specialties, a set of measures is proposed to make its introduction painless for those who are directly affected by such changes. More than half (almost 1000 out of 1700) of dissertation councils will be reapproved automatically. Another part of the dissertation councils is being transformed gradually, in the period until October 1, 2022. Until this date, it is planned to ensure the functioning of the entire current network of dissertation councils according to the former nomenclature of scientific specialties.

This means that all those who have prepared a thesis in scientific specialties that are not included in the new nomenclature will be able to present the results of their research within the framework of the newly introduced specialties. This will be possible thanks to passports of scientific specialties. They are now being created, and they should concentrate all the nuances of a specific specialization, including intersections with related scientific areas.

Source: https://rg.ru/