Endurance and patience
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21
Jul
2026
Dmitry Andreevich Karkh, Vice Rector for Educational and Methodological Work and Quality of Education at USUE, answered questions about admission to the Ural State University of Economics, the educational process and career prospects of students.
- Dmitry Andreevich, this year USUE plans to accept more than 6.6 thousand students, which is an impressive scale. What innovations, in your opinion, should applicants and their parents pay attention to?
First of all, I would like to note that this year the main reception is carried out through the Gosuslugi portal. Today, the function of the admissions committee is reduced more to the operator's office.: we act as an "operator" who helps applicants to upload documents correctly through the state online service. Private offices in universities have been canceled by themselves. Secondly, the admissions committee is mainly needed for counseling: our staff tells the children and their parents in detail about the areas of training and specialties.
This year, for the first time, the so—called "days of silence" are being introduced - on August 3 and 7. These days, it will be impossible to revoke documents from the university. And most importantly, the applicant needs to gain self—control and patience. The guys just need to wait for the results.
As for the changes in the rules for admitting Russian citizens, there are no special, serious differences compared to last year. As it was possible to apply to five universities for five specialties, so this rule remains. But be sure to pay attention to individual achievements: each university sets additional points independently. One university takes into account successes and victories, while the other does not. The main change concerns graduates who have completed secondary vocational education. Now, when applying to a university, they need to take into account the profile of their education. To do this, a calculator for matching specialties has been created on the university's website, which will help check which areas of study can be applied for through internal entrance tests (without providing the results of the Unified State Exam).
I would like to emphasize that it is important to carefully submit the documents: we are now faced with the fact that there is an incomplete upload through the portal, as a result, the documents are returned for revision, and the procedure is delayed. But there's still enough time, the guys will make it.
- Today, there is quite high competition among universities. What do you see as USUE's key competitive advantages and how do you position the university in the educational services market?
We are one of the leading specialized business universities in the Urals. This year, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation decided to profile and reduce, including regulating the allocation of contractual positions in economics and law. Naturally, the number of competitors among universities in the Sverdlovsk region has decreased.
By and large, we are currently seriously competing with Ural Federal University in economics, and with a specialized university in law.
And there are simply no places in economics and humanities in all non-core universities. Parents should pay attention to the fact that due to the restrictions on admission to contractual places in economics, humanities and law, the competition in the region will be quite high.
Another advantage of USUE is its high adaptability to market conditions. We have very close ties with employers, and we have established good business relations with many partners. The largest number of professors and associate professors in economics is located at our university, because we are the main specialized university in the Urals.
- The university implements more than 80 educational programs. How is the process of updating them organized and what role do employers play in this?
The educational programs are adjusted every year. But due to the fact that education reform is underway in the country until 2030, we are switching to the traditional post-Soviet system of education: there will be no bachelor's and master's degrees, there will be basic higher education and specialized. The Ministry has selected 17 universities to participate in the pilot project, which is currently testing new educational standards. We are preparing for the launch of a new curriculum starting in 2027.
As for employers: our university works closely with enterprises, and they are actively involved in the process of updating programs. To date, we are implementing about 20 online programs with major key partners who provide us with places to practice. We will definitely coordinate the work programs of the disciplines with the employers. In addition, representatives of the partners are always present at the final exams. During the school year, we hold quite a lot of different career guidance events, to which we definitely invite them. These are both open days and career days. In addition, the university is constantly expanding cooperation with practitioners who teach disciplines and help adjust programs to changing market conditions.
Of course, we cannot prepare our own graduate for each organization. But we have a targeted recruitment system where employers form a pool of applicants through the Job of Russia portal who will come to work for specific enterprises after graduation. Students receive education not only theoretically, but also practically, taking into account current economic trends.
- Dmitry Andreevich, which of the employers are you building the closest cooperation with today? Can you name the key companies with which the university has a strategic partnership?
There are a lot of them. If we take our College, then there is a network program with the Hyatt Hotel. Last year, the first set of students took place, this year they will undergo internships in hotels, and classes will also be held at their base. And then they commit to employ our graduates. This year, we are launching a new direction "Information Systems Operator" together with the Multifunctional Center (MFC). Part of the educational process will be conducted according to the standards of the IFC, and practice is also provided on their basis. In addition, they have their own training center and their own specifics. Such cooperation will allow our students to start working at the MFC immediately after graduation.
There are network programs in IT for bachelor's degree programs. We work with SKB Kontur and other IT companies. Speaking of logistics, we work with SeAiTi Terminal, the largest employer in the Sverdlovsk region. For students of foreign economic activity and quality management, we have concluded an agreement with the customs administration. The university has many partners, so most of the programs work in a network format.
- Targeted education is one of the priorities of the state policy in the field of education today. Tell us, what are the key nuances that an applicant who plans to enroll in the target quota should take into account? And how is this process organized directly at USUE: how is the training of target students structured, what benefits do they receive and what risks may they face?
All work on admission to targeted training takes place through the portal "Work of Russia". Employers post their vacancies, the applicant enters, chooses the organization in which he would like to work, and concludes a contract. This is a separate quota, which is allocated to the number of budget places in the amount of 10 percent.
How is this good for such an applicant? Firstly, there is a high probability of enrolling in a budget place, because there are quite a few budget places in economics. The employer is obliged to provide support measures: as a rule, most pay an additional scholarship, pay for internships and internships. And as an educational institution, we are obliged to inform the customer about the student's academic performance, because if he does not study well, the contract may be terminated.
A student with a goal, of course, also has certain responsibilities: in addition to the fact that he must study well, after graduating from university, the graduate must work at this enterprise for three years. Otherwise, penalties arise for the party that terminated the contract, whether it is a student who has changed his mind, or an employer who no longer needs a graduate. The system is quite transparent and is very popular now. The student already has a specific workplace, he receives social support, understands where he will practice. This is a guarantee of employment for leading enterprises. After all, companies with state participation can participate in the target recruitment, and this means stable work and career growth.
- Does the university provide an opportunity to conclude a contract on targeted training with an employer, but study on a fee-based basis? What forms of interaction are possible between the university, the student and the enterprise in this case?
If we are talking about the first course, then the target students go mainly on a budget. But during the academic year, we have a practice of concluding targeted tuition agreements for fee-paying students. For example, a student went to practice, the company looked at him and says: "You're right for us, I won't wait four years, you have two left, let's make a deal." And the employer starts paying for the training. We also have such options, especially for master's degree programs, because they are shorter, but such contracts are concluded in the bachelor's degree in the third year. This is more profitable for the company, because the time factor plays a big role. In addition, in the third or fourth year, the student is already more consciously approaching the choice: he understands who he wants to be, where to work and how attractive the company is to him. This model is also gaining popularity, and the legislation does not prohibit it.
- USUE is consistently ranked among the top universities in Yekaterinburg in terms of graduate employment. What specific mechanisms are used to ensure such a high demand for graduates in the labor market?
For most educational programs, we have targeted and networking programs with major employers who commit to admitting our students. In addition, we have a Career Center at the university that conducts career guidance events: professional diving and job fairs. Key employers come to our university twice a year, and we send students of 3-4 courses to them. The guys get acquainted with vacancies, ask questions about salaries, undergo interviews and auditions.
Employers actively participate in the system of state diploma protection. They come, listen to the students' reports and can literally choose the best specialists for employment on the spot. We have corporate scholarships, for example, from Alfa-Bank: students perform certain tasks, the bank selects the best and offers them jobs.
Throughout the year, we invite employers to various contests, and they organize their own events. This also establishes direct contact between students and businesses.
But most importantly, we are a practice-oriented university. We encourage students to start finding a job as early as the second year. By the time of the third or fourth year, most of them are already working and have great practical skills. Therefore, literally only a few people have problems with employment after graduation.
Such active comprehensive cooperation with employers makes it possible to ensure a high level of employment and decent wages.
- In conclusion of our conversation: what would you wish for today's applicants?
I would like to wish applicants, first of all, endurance and patience, because sometimes this plays a crucial role in enrollment. Those who start to "jump" from university to university and choose where to go may find themselves with no places at all. If you have decided and are going to our university, you need to really look at life: if you see that you are getting into the enrollment rating, you just need to wait for the moment. The rankings are constantly moving, but if you have good USE scores, you have a much better chance of getting in than if you start fussing.
In addition, I ask applicants to pay attention to the conditions that the university offers in the future. Many people go to universities in the capital, but you need to understand that even when applying to a budget place, there are huge costs for accommodation and travel, since not all provide places in dormitories. Therefore, we would like students to stay in the Sverdlovsk region, receive education and work for the benefit of our region. And most importantly, I repeat once again: endurance and patience!