Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov’s eldest son and deputy head of the Chechen government, Akhmat Kadyrov, will oversee the republic’s education sector. Despite his new position, there is no information in open sources, including on official websites, about him ever having received a higher education degree.
There are currently 1,127 educational institutions operating in Chechnya, employing more than 105,000 people.
In an announcement published on Telegram on Tuesday, Akhmat Kadyrov noted that education was one of the key areas of development in the region, noting that work was already underway to improve the education quality.
Kadyrov also spoke about a working meeting with Chechen Education Minister Khozh-Baudi Daaev, during which they discussed ‘key issues’ and outlined the steps for further work.
In addition to his meeting with Daaev, Kadyrov also held meetings with the heads of higher education institutions, following which he announced plans ‘to bring the quality of education to an even higher level’.
The question of whether Kadyrov himself has a higher education degree remains open. Official biographical references and state resources contain no data on him obtaining a university diploma. According to the Chechen Sports Ministry, Kadyrov has been studying in the Chechen State University’s law faculty since 2022.
Kadyrov’s government career began even before he reached adulthood. At the age of 16, he headed the council of the regional branch of the children and youth movement and received the title of ‘honoured worker in the sphere of youth policy of Chechnya’. At 17, his father appointed him First Deputy Minister of Sport.
In 2024, Akhmat Kadyrov was appointed Minister for Youth Affairs, and a few months later, he headed the Sports Ministry. At the time of receiving these positions he had not yet turned 20, and he still did not have a higher education degree.
Russian federal legislation stipulates that to occupy senior positions in state bodies it is necessary not only to have reached adulthood, but also to possess a higher education at the level of a master’s degree or specialist degree. Despite this, Akhmat Kadyrov took up a ministerial post before completing his second year at university.
In January 2026, Akhmat Kadyrov was appointed Deputy Prime Minister along with Akhmed Dudaev.
Elizaveta Chukharova
