Russian Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov // Foto Vyacheslav Prokofiev/TASS
According to the minister, the oral format allows for a more objective assessment of a graduate’s preparation: the teacher can ask clarifying questions, check understanding of the topic, and ask to explain the logic of the research. This approach, Falkov believes, makes it more difficult to use neural networks as a tool for formal final certification.
According to TASS, the minister called the possible transition to oral exams “a return to the roots of higher education” in the context of the spread of AI technologies. He emphasized that even the most advanced systems cannot fully prepare a person for a live dialog with a teacher, where it quickly becomes apparent how much the student really knows about the material.
Falkov also noted earlier that in the coming years, universities will welcome a generation of students for whom artificial intelligence will become as familiar a tool as the Internet or a smartphone. This, in his opinion, will require constant revision of teaching methods and knowledge assessment.
Against the backdrop of the growing popularity of generative neural networks, universities around the world are increasingly discussing how to preserve academic integrity. In these conditions, the oral defense of diplomas is seen not as a return to outdated practices, but as a way to check not only the finished text, but also the real competencies of the author.
