On December 5, 2025, the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation hosted the III All-Russian Forum for Heads of Financial and Economic Departments of Higher Education and Scientific Organizations. The forum was organized by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and aimed to bring together professionals in finance and economics who oversee planning, accounting, and analysis of financial and economic activities within educational institutions. Over 450 representatives from leading universities and scientific organizations across the country participated in the event.
During the opening, Rector of the Financial University, Stanislav Prokofiev, emphasized the event's importance for the professional community amid rapid changes: "The world is transforming, and our country faces new challenges: the sovereignty of higher education, increased demands on science, and internal tasks such as adjusting admission enrollment figures, new models of tuition-fee education, and educational lending. These issues require prompt and balanced decisions, and the role of financial specialists becomes crucial. It depends on us how universities effectively fulfill their main mission in new conditions-contributing to national development goals, strengthening technological and financial sovereignty — and ensuring compliance with continuously changing legislation.
Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, Andrey Omelchuk, spoke at the plenary session about the implementation of state policies in science and higher education financing, current challenges, and features of financial and economic management in Russian universities and research institutions within the context of achieving national development goals.
"Today, a financial specialist in an educational or scientific institution is no longer just an accountant or statistician but a proactive architect of opportunities, constantly working on process optimization and creating a comfortable, technological environment for students, faculty, and researchers. The forum has rightly become a platform for professional dialogue beyond traditional exchanges, where the outlines of future financial strategies are formed, current challenges discussed, and features of financial management in Russian higher education and science are addressed," — noted Andrey Omelchuk.
Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Science and Higher Education, Sergey Kabyshev, highlighted:
"The education and science system is primarily about people. The professionalism and responsibility of financiers determine the lives of faculty, researchers, and students. Our shared goal is to make funding an effective tool for achieving strategic university objectives, ensuring resources support key projects."
Deputy Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation, Pavel Kadochnikov, provided insights into current trends in financial support for science and higher education from the federal budget:
"Our priority is strict control over achieving specific results. Every budgetary ruble must contribute to solving national tasks, primarily attaining technological leadership. We focus on two key indicators: first, employment of graduates in their specialization, and second, their salary levels. This is not only about educational efficiency but also a critical element of the state's social policy,"—he stated.
Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Platygin, outlined the role of educational organizations in workforce development:
"Our strategic task is to create an effective system of training personnel for the economy together with educational institutions. A key solution is to enhance secondary vocational education, establishing a continuous chain from early career guidance for youth to guaranteed employment in their field, in close cooperation with business."
Head of the Federal Treasury, Roman Artyukhin, discussed questions related to treasury services for institutions under the Ministry of Science and Higher Education during the plenary session.
Speakers also included Deputy Head of the Federal Tax Service, Timur Shinaliev; Deputy Head of the Federal Antimonopoly Service, Timofey Nizhegorodtsev; Director of the Bank of Russia University, Andrey Afonin; and leaders of financial and economic services from leading universities and scientific organizations nationwide.
The forum concluded with a ceremonial awarding of prizes to the laureates of the III All-Russian Forum for achievements in financial management.
For active participation and contribution to addressing the tasks assigned to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Amina Khusainova, Vice-Rector for Economic and Financial Affairs of the Financial University, was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the Ministry.
The plenary session ended with a concert performed by creative studios and ensembles of the Financial University.
