On Monday, Russia’s educational regulatory authority, Rosobrnadzor, announced the suspension of the license of the Higher School of Social and Economic Sciences in Moscow, commonly referred to as Shaninka, effectively ceasing its ability to provide education to students, as reported by Russian media.

This decision by Rosobrnadzor means that the university can no longer legally conduct classes and must assist students in transferring to other institutions, provided they agree to this move.

According to the business publication Kommersant, the suspension will remain in place until a court decides whether the institution has addressed the concerns raised by the authorities. If the license is fully revoked, the chances of reinstatement would be eliminated.

This action follows Rosobrnadzor’s announcement last month that several degree programs at Shaninka had their accreditations revoked, citing deficiencies in essential higher education offerings and unqualified teaching personnel, alongside poor student performance in standardized assessments and outdated information about staff on the university’s website.

Rosobrnadzor first flagged Shaninka for violations back in November 2024, after which the institution has been prohibited from accepting new students.

As of now, Shaninka has not issued a public statement regarding the suspension of its license or the loss of accreditation for several programs. The university is contesting the suspension of admissions in court.

In a message to students in July, the rector of Shaninka, Maria Sigova, expressed uncertainty about the university’s chances in its legal conflict with Rosobrnadzor and encouraged students to consider alternative options for transferring.

Established in 1995 by British sociologist Theodore Shanin, Shaninka is regarded as one of the top humanities institutions in Russia, with notable alumni including political analyst Ekaterina Shulmann and sociologist Grigory Yudin.