MOSCOW (Realist English). Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov has called for a sweeping modernization of the country’s military education system, emphasizing the need for clear evaluation criteria, new standards for instructors, and enhanced collaboration with civilian universities in key fields such as information technology and artificial intelligence.
Speaking at a meeting of the Defense Ministry’s expert council, Belousov stated:
“We need an evaluation system for military education institutions based on clear criteria and feedback mechanisms. It must begin with a proper certification framework for the teaching staff.”
The minister noted that current efforts to modernize military training cannot succeed without a corresponding reform of the military education management system. As an example of institutional shortcomings, he cited his recent inspection of the Novosibirsk Higher Military Command School, where he found the material base severely outdated and many cadets still living in tents.
“Most cadets are housed in tents. The infrastructure is, at best, 20 years old,” he said.
Belousov also stressed the importance of building systematic forms of cooperation between the military and civilian educational institutions, which would allow the Ministry of Defense to train specialists in high-demand fields such as cybersecurity, machine learning, and robotics.
The expert council session focused on reviewing and refining the blueprint for reforming military education. Among the participants were senior commanders with combat experience, rectors of top civilian universities, leaders of military academies, lawmakers, and representatives from the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Russian Academy of Education, major state corporations, and academic institutions including the Russian Presidential Academy (RANEPA), Sberbank’s Corporate University, Rosatom’s Corporate Academy, and the NTI 2035 University.
The initiative marks a shift toward civil-military integration in training and R&D, positioning military education as a strategic resource in Russia’s broader technological and defense transformation.
