The functioning of the higher education system is carried out in accordance with the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Education on the basis of the Conceptual approaches to the development of the education system of the Republic of Belarus until 2020 and for the future until 2030, approved by the Republican Pedagogical Council with the participation of the President of the Republic of Belarus in August 2017, in compliance with national interests and needs of the economy of the Republic of Belarus as well as improving the image and competitiveness of the national higher education system, improving the positions of higher education institutions in international rankings, expanding the export of educational services. 

Currently there are 42 state institutions of higher education (31 universities, 9 academies, 2 institutes) operating in the republic and which are subordinate to 12 ministries and departments, as well as 8 private institutions of higher learning.

387 specialties of the 1st stage of education and 159 specialties of the 2nd stage of education all are available for future personnel to study.

At the second stage of higher education, the personnel is studying to become professionals in the fields of science, innovation and educational activities.

Constant work is underway to strengthen the practice-oriented training of specialists with bachelor’s degree.

Interaction has been established with sectoral councils for the development of professional standards established under ministries and departments. A sectoral council has been created under the Ministry of Education. Approaches to the development of new generation educational standards in conjunction with professional standards have been developed.

Cooperation with contracting authorities of personnel is developing. There are more than 1,100 branches of departments at high-tech enterprises of the republic, in organizations of the High Technologies Park, institutes of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, other organizations of the economy and the social sphere.

More than 80 laboratories jointly with the world's leading companies and about 50 educational centers of the world's leading companies operate in higher education institutions.

To solve the promising tasks of the economy in the higher education system, new approaches are being introduced in the training of specialists: “University 3.0”, “Digital University”.

As part of the implementation of the “University 3.0” model, special attention in higher education institutions is paid to studying the issues of innovation and inventive activity, developing in students the competencies and skills necessary for doing business, implementing start-ups in business incubators, team implementation of high-tech projects, creating a network of innovative structures.

The implementation of the project "University 3.0" is carried out by 13 institutions of higher education of the republic, including 3 regional ones.

Starting from 2018, 13 institutions of higher education of the republic have begun to implement the Digital University project (organization of the educational process based on information technology).

The implementation of the Digital University project is aimed at implementing three main interrelated components (attributes) at universities:

infrastructure and tools for access to information resources;

information and communication technologies in the educational and upbringing process, including in distance education;

digitalization of university management processes (business processes).

The highest advisory body in the system of higher education is the Council of Rectors of the Republic of Belarus.

The department of higher education is a structural subdivision of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus. The key aim of the department is to rule the system of higher education and provide its operation.

The main tasks of the department are:

development and implementation of state policy in the field of higher education;

ensuring the functioning and management of the higher education system;

normative legal support of higher education, development of programs for the development of higher education;

organization of scientific and methodological support of higher education;

coordination of the activities of republican government bodies, education departments of regional executive committees, the education committee of the Minsk City Executive Committee, organizations on the implementation of the functions of the higher education system.

The department in accordance with the tasks assigned has the following functions:

provides organizational and practical work on the realization, implementation of decrees, directives, ordinances, orders of the President of the Republic of Belarus, the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Education, decisions of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus, orders of the Prime Minister, state programs in the field of higher education;

analyzes the state and forecasts the prospects for the development of the higher education system, studies global trends and makes proposals to determine priority areas for its development;

develops draft legislative and other regulatory legal acts in the field of higher education and programs for the development of higher education, prepares proposals for the abolition of regulatory legal and other legal acts, amendments and additions to the regulatory legal acts of the Ministry of Higher Education, summarizes law enforcement practice and makes proposals for its improvement;

coordinates the activities of the structural divisions of the ministry on the functioning of the higher education system; organizes the activities of institutions of republican subordination in terms of the implementation of educational programs of higher education, coordinates the state educational institution "Republican Institute of Higher Education" on issues of scientific and methodological support of higher education;

participates in the coordination of candidates for the positions of heads of higher education institutions;

interacts with the republican government bodies, education departments of regional executive committees and the education committee of the Minsk City Executive Committee in resolving issues of the functioning of higher education;

jointly with the department of organizational and personnel work, the department for advanced training and retraining of personnel, the state educational institution "Republican Institute of Higher Education", coordinates work within its competence to provide higher education institutions with teachers, determines categories, directions and content of training programs, retraining and advanced training of teaching staff of higher education institutions and analyzes the results of its implementation;

together with the Education Quality Control Department, organizes work on the scientific and methodological support of higher education in terms of education quality control, develops measures aimed at improving the activities of educational institutions;

within its competence, considers documents for obtaining a license for the right to carry out higher education;

ensures the preparation of a justification for financing assignments for scientific developments aimed at ensuring the development of the higher education system, controls over the fulfillment of assignments, the implementation of the results of scientific developments, the preparation of relevant reports, carries out their acceptance, promotes the implementation of the results of experimental work in the educational process of higher education institutions;

ensures the formation of admission control figures in subordinate institutions of higher education;

makes, on issues of its competence, proposals for the creation, reorganization and liquidation of institutions of higher education;

organizes the development and ensures the approval in accordance with the established procedure of educational standards of higher education, model curricula for specialties and model curricula for academic disciplines, issuance of educational publications for institutions of higher education;

together with the institution “Main Information and Analytical Center of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus”, the state educational institution “Republican Institute of Higher Education” develops and implements measures to develop the republican system of informatization in the field of higher education;

carries out work together with the state educational institution "Republican Institute of Higher Education" on planning, substantiating funding, holding and summing up the results of republican meetings, conferences, seminars, workshops on improving the training of personnel and developing the higher education system, olympiads, competitions, exhibitions - fairs and other events on higher education;

on issues of its competence, takes part in planning expenses for the maintenance of subordinate organizations of higher education, the property of which is in republican ownership, for the implementation of other functions assigned to the Department, in determining the volume of their financing and material and technical support within the allocated appropriations and resources;

together with the Department of International Cooperation ensures the implementation of the tasks assigned to the Ministry for cooperation with international organizations, foreign individuals and legal entities operating in the field of higher education, including the exchange of learning technologies, training programs, experience in organizing higher education, etc.;

considers letters and appeals from citizens within the established time limits on issues of its competence, takes the necessary measures to eliminate the identified shortcomings, gives explanations and recommendations on issues within the competence of the Office;

ensures a unified procedure for working with documents in accordance with regulatory legal acts on office work and archiving, their high-quality preparation and completion on time.

Consultations of citizens on issues related to the competence of the department of higher education, educational institutions of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus are carried out without prior appointment during the reception hours of the head of the department if there are documents on education, employment and other documents (if necessary).

Contact informationof the Department of Higher Education of the Main Department of VocationalEducation of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus is representedin the "Phones" section.