Vladislav Zakharevich, head of the newly established Southern Federal University, has gained a reputation as an innovator while leading one of the four component institutions of Southern Federal. Touring the campuses under his care, he found laboratory equipment so worn down as to be nearly useless; dormitories with broken toilets and infested by cockroaches; academic buildings with virtually no Internet connections; and professors who seem disconnected from the world around them, averse to new ideas, and focused on only basic research. Zakharevich's experiences during the past three years, and the progress and resistance he has encountered, say much about the state of Russian higher education and how far it has to go to regain its international reputation. He says there is not much he can do, but he hopes that by better positioning the university to meet industry needs, ultimately students--and the Russian economy--will benefit.