In Support of V. Afanasyeva’s Open Letter to Russian Minister of Education O.Y. Vasilieva

ABSTRACT The author writes in support of Dr. Afanasyeva’s open letter to Russian Minister of Education O.Y. Vasilieva. He agrees with Dr. Afanasyeva’s assessment of the current problems facing the Russian academic community in terms of both the awarding of degrees and the process of publishing peer-reviewed articles. The reduction of publicly funded universities and the commercialization of academia have had a detrimental effect on academic standards. While relaxed academic standards have led to plagiarism and improper accreditation, the over-bureaucratization of the academic process has also led to unnecessary procedures that often stymie scientific research and the publication of legitimate research.