SOVIET HIGHER EDUCATION IN INORGANIC CHEMISTRY AND ELECTRO-PHYSICS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000200630002-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 16, 2013
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: April 8, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved forReleas50-Yr2014/11/04 : CIA-RDP82-00047R050200630602-7
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY USSR
SUBJECT Soviet Higher Education in Inorganic Chemistry
and Electro-Physics.
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
ACQU I RED
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DIFINEt
OF THE UNITED STATES, WITHIN THE WEANING OF TITLE II, IICTIONE VOZ
AND 794, or THE U.S. CODE, AI AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION or HIVE.
LOTION OF ITS CONTENT. TO OR RECEIPT MY AN UNAUTHORIZED FERION IS
PROHIBITED BY LAW. THE REPRODUCTION OP TWII FORM IS PADOIIIIITED.
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES 4.
50X1
NO. OF ENCLS. 50X1
(LISTED BELOW>
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
50X1
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
50X1
1.,
2.
3.
SELECTION OF STUDENTS
50X1
50X1
Student candidate� were screened on a point basis. If his backwround
revealed any religious affiliation, however small, he wag disqualified. If
he passed this firet obstacle, he was then investigated to determine if he
had soma connection, family or otherwise, with persons who belonged to the
old Czarist ruling or intellectual classes. A relationship to anyone who
had been in banking, commerce or manufacturing would appreciably lease:sox'
his chances. Next, he was tested on the nUMber of Communist-oponsored
youth organizations. he had Joined, such as the Communist Pioneers and the
KOMSOMOL (Committee of Soviet Youth). If he had.been vary active in ouch
organizations hip chances for selection were much improved. If he had
neglected them altogether his chances were lessened. Tho final point in
selection was an entrance examination to prove his fitness for higher
education. Good CeMmunists, or those with Communiet connection could get
by this examination with poor gradem. Other: had to pass with a grade of
fair or better. 50X1
50X1
The decision was made by the Direction (Governing Board) of the ,
univermity.lhe.directiom always took into consideration the recommendation
of the. examining profesior but wae not eawmArs guided by. it, -NI 1.941 rfaill.
CLASSIFICATION COVFIDENTIAL - Security Information
DISTRIBUTION
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2014/11/04: CIA-RDP82-00047R000200630002-7
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2014/11/04: CIA-RDP82-00047R000200630002-7
4.
7.
CONFIDENTIAL 7 Security Information
- 2 -
50X1
priorities were exercised in the assignment of students for higher
studies. The best students Were first offered to the department
of Electrotechnical engineering, after that to Mechanical engineer-
ing. Civil engineering came next and at the bottom of the priority
list was Chemistry which usually received the least apt of5okii stu-
dents.
These methods were standard throughout the USSR.
most of
the large universities in the USSR and found the methods were the
same every where. 50X1
His choice was-14Mited to the institutions nearest his home. If, he
,
, wished to gO:to a more distant place. he would first have to get pr
,
mission from what was then )cnown,as,the.NOZ., No one could leaVe '
his native bailiwick without such permission. 50>
, 50>
TEXTBoOKS
5W
, Textbooks were either those translated to the Russian Irom a foreig3
tongue= those composed and written by, Russiaaa* Translations wer1
1
,
mien texts were in small supply and usually weak in quality. Actually
the Soviets chose the beet texts from the world's available libraries
"'and had them translated into Russian. Most were German authored and
these wer0 hop ,411,4 i4,5P0454;115 The, basic text books in 4hemis.
try at the University of Kiev, all other Soviet Unir
versities, were
Inorganisphe CheMio bY Richter German
Basis of Chemistry bycKendelejar r- Russian
Inorgaz4sche,0hemie by Irdmann -- Often
inorganisohe Chemie by Rollemana r- German,
Analytical Chemistry hy,Treadwell -r US
Analytical0hemistry bYIWY
You viii note that only one of these toOkaictlyaloviet anthor and
that halt are by GerMeAP.:, MOAt translated, textbooks contained many
errors but those that were translated. in Germany by Russian language
experts were excellent,
llagmTATIcal mcounus
50X1
50X1
Students attended large lecture. courses gAven by a,profeasor ana the
lectures were discussed in seminar ,groups of 30 to 40 studeativunder
the supervision,of,anassistant professor., Classes started at seven-
thirty aim, and ended at ten p.a., with a one hour break for -lunch �
and a small break at the dinner hour. This regime waa in effect six
days a week.
50X1
CONFIDENTIAL - Security Information
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2014/11/04: CIA-RDP82-00047R000200630002-7
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2014/11/04: CIA-RDP82-00047R000200630002-7
8.
10.
U.
12.
13.
CONFIDENTIAL - Security Information
1
- 3 -
50X1
50X1
.our nours, oz lecture courses, two hours orzroup'seminare Ma
fourrhours of analytical laboratbry work per week were devoted L
to Chemistry by'students,majering,in this .field,: In additionStudent
would spend every available free moment in the laboratory, but
there were precious few free moments. 50.
Individual instruction was forbidden. 4owever.., a good Communist
, . , : .,
student who was doing poorly in his'atudieSeOUld'uSually 'arranger
for "voluntary help" from one Of the profeSSOrs after leetUre'honks.
I
50.
I
The inclination was .for greet informality between professor and stu-
dent and betIfeen.follow professors but the student feared the pro-, -4
fess.= and the-profesdor feared the stUdent, on political grounds,
of course, and, this made for a strained relationehip,that amounted
to formality. The same was true is betWeen-fellow professors. 5(:).
EA woulabe �requireo to put in smnunarea-nouxe An Inorganic chemi-
stry,- about half of whichwould be analytical; four hundred hours in
Organic Chemistry; one hundred hours in Physical Cheiistry; and allkli
,- 50.
threc.hundred,hours in Physics.
' 50X
IABORATORYINSTRVOTION
710taboratory instruction was given to groups of 24 to 36 etudelts at
a time. They were required to put in about four hours each week in
laboratory work. Graduate assistants supervises the work and advise
the students to the eXtent that they were able* The equipment used
was pitifully out of date. Most of it wasa hangover from the old
Czarist days. Prom 18 to 24 laboratory- prOblems were given to the
students over a two year period. 50X1
EXAMINATIONS
50X
At the University of Kiev a oothined oral and written examin
tion. The student was required to prepare written answers to a set
AViAff.k4A11A aillmr4**AA 4." Ilim 111, Ma .nrnfolaseir. Mha nrmfailian In turn
1
1
1
wOuld orally examine the student on the basis of the answers he sub- i
mitted in writing. Students were orally examined after each labors.- .
tory problem so there were no laboratory problem in the final examine-
tion. The lecture course usually ran from one to one and a half years.
A final examination Was given at the. end. Of each. In the early days of
the 'Communist regime the old Czarist system of grading,
"very gOod", "good" '"fair" and "unsatisfactory". Later a numerical
system was introduced with the highest grade starting at "51% which was
eual to "very good" and descending to nlIts This latter grade was the
professors indication that the student was not suited to continue in
,
university work. H 50X1
CONFIDENTIAL - Security Information
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2014/11/04: CIA-RDP82-00047R000200630002-7
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2014/11/04: CIA-RDP82-00047R000200630002-7
�
14.
15.
3.6.
17.
CONFIDENTIAL - Security Information
- 4 -
THESIS
50X1
50X1
50X1
Each student was given a project (thesis) which had to be completed
prior to graduation and defended in public. Projects were assigned
by the faculty but were not required to be published unless the stu-
dent were seeking a postgraduate degree. Upon* completion of the pro-
ject it was submitted to the faculty which decided whether or not it
was worth defending. If it was, defense of the project was made be-
fore an open commission to which everyone interested in the particu-
lar science had the right to come. A special committee made up of
university faculty members and outside professors sat in judgement
of the defense. If a student failed in his defense he was given the
choice of accepting a second class diploma which valified him as a
technician, ,or applying for the privilege of extending his studies
and making d second try in the future.
111602E1101.112LEMEMENI
50X1
The student had to receive about five thousand hours of instruction
over a period of five years, pass all of his courses with a grade of
fair or better and successfully defend a project (thesis) with a50X1
grade of fair or better.
There wore never any failures in the final examinations. Substandard
students were weeded out before they reached the finals. However,
there was about a 20 per cent factor in incompletions, i.e., students
who voluntarily resigned or who were dismissed because of poor work.
.AMIG 50X1NMENT OF GRADUATES
The area of assignment was unlimited. It would depend on where train-
ed men were most needed. This decision was made in Moscow =d the stu-
dent had no choice in the matter. There was no such thing CAI going
jobleas. Every suocer5sful graduate was needed and there waa alwarx?,
job waiting to be filled.
. After the university the student could go on to the scientific
.4.FIlq,na .014,4A1, w.m.,TAN im++.0AhmA 4.^ +Um Anmaklipimime AA" MA4alanm A ma.klq-
4WIi
dent properly recommended by his faculty could matriculatciftna of
these institutes as an lAspirant" for a professorship in his chosen
field.
ea0 -
CONFIDENTIAL - Ciourity Information
50X1
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2014/11/04: CIA-RDP82-00047R000200630002-7