Russian education - moving toward indoctrination?

Is the new required course design for Russian higher education, "Fundamentals of Russian Statehood," just another course or an example of increasing attempts to indoctrinate? The creators of the course are stalwart Putin and state supporters. The ideological bent of the course has caused some academics to fear encroachment into academic freedom but others simply view the course as a hurdle that students will be able to circumvent through cheating and apathy. Previous attempts at state brainwashing improved "students' skill at cheating and thwarting attendance monitors," commented an alumna of Saint Petersburg State University who subsequently completed the master's program in international education at the University of Oxford.

Russia and China have both attempted to move up in the world rankings of academic institutions, primarily by supporting research and placement of academic articles in prestigious journals. The problem is that academic substance and positive student outcomes are related to a broader array of opportunity - student engagement, dialogue across difference, and critical thinking as examples. Will Russian and Chinese educators eventually recognize that the path to academic excellence isn't just in the research rankings but also the experience of students?