The expediency of receiving a degree has always caused numerous disputes: some people say that having a degree produces a minimal effect while others are sure that a degree helps its owners make a scientific career.
The All-Russian Centre for the Study of Public Opinion has decided to find out how prestigious a degree as such is. As we said earlier, 76 per cent of people in Russia would favour their children’s wishes to make a scientific career. 4 years ago this figure stood at 62 per cent. More than 80 per cent of civil servants, housewives and servicemen would not like their children to dedicate their life to science. Thus, the results of the polls give grounds for a paradox: although the wages the field of education and science are small, people are ready to continue their studies and to invest not only their money but also their time in their studies which means that they are ready to dedicate themselves to science. To be a university teacher or to have a degree has always been prestigious in Russia. In the Soviet-era times the prestige of science was very high in this country, and scientific workers as well as university teachers who had a degree or a title belonged to the most prosperous sections of the population. In 1992 all those who made part of a scientific community in Russia, and also teachers, engineers, doctors, and workers found themselves in a survival situation. Today’s interest in scientific work is first of all explained by its stability, Head of the Department of Social and Political Research at the VTsSIOM Stepan Lvov says.
"If earlier business was considered to be the leading sphere where one could earn much, today the situation is slightly different. Perhaps, this was caused by the current crisis, which showed that the field of business was not very stable. Today people are sure that science can give one a good start in life."
Businessmen who have children have a different opinion. 26 per cent of them would not like their children to dedicate themselves to science. Experts say that they are very skeptical about the Candidate of Science and the Doctor of Science degrees. The point is that employers often fear that should their employees decide to make an academic career, this may hamper their efforts to carry out operative management. On the other hand, the presence of a degree is undoubtedly a plus in job hunting and as a consequence – a bid for receiving a highly-paid job, President of the Recruiting Portal Superjob.ru Alexei Zakharov says.
Business structures are unwilling to favour additional titles of their employees, as the results of the latest on-line poll, conducted by the HeadHunter Company show: only 17 per cent of agencies pay higher salaries to employees who have a degree. However, toughening measures, various checks and recalled degree scandals offer proof that receiving a degree in Russia will soon become an elite prerogative.