ABSTRACT
The paper considers prospects for the integration of the Russian higher schools of architecture into the international higher education space using the case of the Ural Architectural School as an example. There are specific common features shared by most of the Russian schools of architecture.
Firstly, the paper reviews the problems and contradictions that USUAA has come across since 2003 when Russia set out to align its higher education programmes with the international higher education system.
Secondly, the paper outlines Russia’s approach to quality assurance in higher architectural education based on national educational standards. These standards define the structure of the course programs in all subject areas. The architectural schools are obliged to develop the contents of their education programs in conformity with the relevant federal educational standard.
Thirdly, the author considers the experiences of the Ural Architectural School in light of the above contradictions and features and discusses the structure of the USUAA’s Bachelor Degree course of architecture and the outcomes of its validation by the UIA/UNESCO experts.
Currently, USUAA is reviewing its architecture teaching practices and teaching model to ensure that the school keeps its key strengths whilst modifying the contents of its course of architecture and rethinking the teaching and learning paradigm in line with the international integration agenda.
