Higher Attestation Commission of Belarus

Until 1991, academic degrees and titles of scientists and teachers of higher educational institutions of the Belarusian SSR were awarded by the Higher Attestation Committee of the USSR . The own Higher Attestation Commission in Belarus was established by Decree of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus No. 564 of September 18, 1992 “On the Creation of the Higher Attestation Commission under the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus”. Initially, the newly formed Higher Attestation Commission of Belarus was engaged only in the awarding of academic degrees, the assignment of academic ranks was carried out specially for this by the created certification board at the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus (Decree of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus No. 563 “On the temporary procedure for awarding academic ranks in the Republic of Belarus”). The assignment of academic titles was transferred to the Higher Attestation Commission of Belarus in accordance with the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated February 12, 1996 No. 94. The network of dissertation councils administered by the Higher Attestation Commission of Belarus has been preserved since Soviet times ^[2] .

The main activity of the Higher Attestation Commission of Belarus is the awarding of academic degrees and the conferment of academic ranks , as well as the nostrification of relevant documents issued by foreign states, including the Russian Federation ^[3] . All types of activities are regulated by regulatory documents, the main of which is the “Regulation on the awarding of scientific degrees and the conferment of academic degrees in the Republic of Belarus”, now the revision of this provision is approved by decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated December 1, 2011 No. 561 ^[4] .

The system of academic degrees and titles is somewhat different from the Russian one. Based on the results of defending a dissertation for the degree, a candidate’s or doctor’s degree can be awarded, confirmed by a national diploma, or a “Ph.D.” (Ph.D) degree, also confirmed by a national diploma. This rule applies to foreign nationals, however the national diploma is Ph.D. It can also be issued to citizens of the Republic of Belarus with a scientific degree of a candidate of science in addition to an already existing candidate diploma.

Scientific publications necessary to defend a dissertation can be carried out in publications included in the List of scientific publications of the Republic of Belarus to publish the results of dissertational studies, approved by a decree of the Higher Attestation Commission of Belarus on July 16, 2004 without taking into account differentiation by branches of science, the List of scientific publications of the Republic of Belarus for publication the results of dissertation research, as amended by order of the Higher Attestation Commission of January 18, 2006 No. 8, taking into account differentiation by branches of science, and in any other scientific and buildings of Belarus before the approval of the List of scientific publications (March 25, 2004). In addition, publications in publications from the “List of leading peer-reviewed scientific journals and publications in which the main scientific results of dissertations for the degree of candidate and doctor of science” approved by the Higher Attestation Commission of the Russian Federation ^[5] , as well as from the “List of scientific professional publications of Ukraine, in which the results of dissertations for the degree of Doctor and Candidate of Science can be published, as well as articles published in the scientific and scientific-technical period iCal peer-reviewed journals of the USSR. In addition, articles are also accepted in peer-reviewed scientific periodical peer-reviewed publications of other CIS countries (except Russia and Ukraine), as well as other foreign countries, if the scientific level of these publications is considered sufficient by experts (opponents) of the dissertation research ^[6] .

The peculiarities of the activities of the Higher Attestation Commission of Belarus include the fact that the delivery of diplomas of doctors of sciences and certificates of professors is carried out, as a rule, at a meeting of the Presidium of the Higher Attestation Commission ^[7] .