The Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation (in brief, MES of Russia) was established on March 9, 2004 by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation N 314. The MES of Russia acquired the functions relating to the adoption of regulatory legal acts in the sphere of activity of the previously abolished Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, and the functions relating to the adoption of regulatory legal acts in the scientific field implemented by the abolished Ministry of Industry, Science and Technologies of the Russian Federation, as well as the functions relating to the adoption of regulatory legal acts in the area of activities of the Russian Patents and Trade Marks Agency.

The MES of Russia is a federal body implementing the executive functions relating to the development of state policy and to legal regulation in the following spheres:

Education,

Scientific, scientific and technical and innovative activity, the development of federal centers of science and high technology, state scientific centers and so called "science-towns" and intellectual property,

Youth policy, education, guardianship and tutorship, social support and social protection of students and pupils of educational institutions.

The Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation co-ordinates and controls the work of the Federal Service for Intellectual Property, Patents and Trade Marks, the Federal Agency of Supervision in Education and Science, the Federal Science and Innovations Agency and the Federal Education Agency, which are subordinate to it.

The work of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation is governed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, Federal Constitutional Laws, Decrees by the President of the Russian Federation, international agreements concluded by the Russian Federation as well as the Statute of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia.

The Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation works in cooperation with other federal executive bodies, executive bodies of the subjects of the Russian Federation, local authorities, public associations and other institutions.