Basis of the digital economy: use of information and communication technologies in higher education

Abstract

The intensification of the processes of the digital economy development is leading to the transformation of the higher education system. Universities are forced to digitalize their own educational, research, international, marketing, financial and economic activities in order to maintain a competitive position in the global market of educational services. The purpose of the article is to study the role of information and communication technologies in the development of the higher education system and to ensure its adaptability to modern challenges of digital economy. To achieve this goal, methods of content analysis, logical generalization, systematization and a structural-functional method are used. In the article, the authors substantiate the urgency of forming a holistic strategy to ensure the adaptability of higher education to the challenges of digital economy. In the structure of this strategy, the information-technological block is singled out and described. The authors specified a set of positive synergetic effects from the introduction of modern information and communication technologies in the activities of universities. The main information threats to the digitalization of higher education related to the protection of personal data and university systems from cyberattacks and fraudulent schemes are identified. In conclusion, the authors detail the measures for the strategy implementation to ensure the adaptability of higher education to digital economy.