In Russia higher education is provided by universities and by academies and institutes. The current reform of higher education began with the application of perestroika to higher education in 1987. Goals at that time included the democratization of administration and management, the elimination of ideology from educational content and methods, and the diversification of educational content and methods.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991, all institutions of higher education in the Russian Federation came under the jurisdiction of the Russian government. Since then the government has worked to establish and develop a diversified higher education system with characteristics that match the needs of society and students as part of the national restructuring process and the transition to a market economy. Social and economic confusion have created numerous problems, however, including funding difficulties, a drop in the number of people wishing to enter institutions of higher education, and a decline in educational and research standards.
