Challenges to the Russian academic profession

The article analyzes Post-Soviet academic profession, focusing on thechallenges it has to meet. It starts with the historical overview ofthe higher education and professoriate in Russia and Soviet Union,then gives a general description of the academic profession in Post-SovietRussia. The issues of special interests are the system of academic appointmentsand promotion, remuneration, motivation, evaluation of the faculty,academic freedom. In the context of economic crisis, massification andinternationalization of education, Russian higher education and itsacademic staff face the challenges of adaptation to financial constraints,improving appointment and evaluation procedures, formation of youngergeneration of faculty and many others that are discussed in the article.