Неэргодическая экономика

Building a market economy in Russia has brought not only the emergence of various economic conflicts but also the destruction of entire branches and spheres of activity. One such “fragile” sector has been higher education, which has undergone massive changes and is now facing new institutional reforms.

Russian universities do not do well in international rankings. Recent attempts in Russia to create different forms of ranking are aimed at reflecting what strengths universities there may have, but it is up to the universities themselves to find ways to better characterize themselves in existing systems of ranking.

In each consecutive round of reforms, Russia’s advancement toward a market transformation has given rise to distinctive economic and social anomalies. One such anomaly is the “dissertation trap,” which implies the purchase and sale of academic degrees and ranks in a corresponding “black” market. The present article analyzes the sociocultural characteristics of this exotic phenomenon.