The Candidate of Sciences (, Kandidat nauk) is a first post-graduate scientific degree in some former Eastern Bloc countries, such as Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan which is awarded for original research that constitutes a significant contribution to a scientific field. The degree was first introduced in the USSR on January 13, 1934, by a decision of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR. According to the UNESCO International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED), for purposes of international educational statistics Candidate of Sciences is equivalent to PhD.