Vasiliev took the decision to cancel the reform of the previous leadership of the Ministry of education and science in Orientalism
The Ministry of education and science adopted a conclusion about the development of Oriental studies as a separate field, so the Ministry has responded to the protest of rectors of higher educational institutions, who predicted a big jam directions due to the fact that during the previous administration of the office discipline was included in the group "Political science and area studies," write print and electronic publications of Russia. according to the newspaper " Kommersant ", in early 2016 Authorised by the leading higher educational institutions of Russia told about the crisis and "loss of opportunities for further development" areas of training of higher education " Oriental and African studies ". MSU rector Victor Sadovnichy and the rector of St. Petersburg state University Ilya Dementiev was then sent to the head of the Ministry of education and science Dmitry Livanov the letter, which argued that the policy of the Department, increases the probability of coercion to " undermine the foundations of the Russian school of Oriental studies ".