COMPETITIVENESS OF UNIVERSITY TEACHERS IN THE MULTILEVEL ENVIRONMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

One of the tasks of modern education is to ensure the sustainability of higher education in the ever-changing environment in the context of globalization and glocalization. Under these conditions, cooperation in higher education is becoming more important as one of the manifestations of competitiveness. Socio-economic changes caused by globalization, internationalization and digitalisation of higher education, as well as the current demographic situation in Europe, including Latvia, raise the issue of the competitiveness of academic staff in a multi-level, multi-context and multifunctional higher education environment. The aim of the study is: based on the interdisciplinary approach, including transfer approach from economics and business sciences to educational sciences, to theoretically substantiate the competitiveness of university teachers in interaction with the multi-context and multi-level higher education environment, as well as the competitiveness of universities. The following research methods were used: study, analysis, and evaluation of scientific literature (theoretical research method); the reflection of own (the article authors') academic and scientific experience (empirical research method). The results of the research show that two tendencies can be distinguished in the substantiation of the competitiveness of university academic staff: 1) economists and business scientists, based on competition theories, use basic knowledge, findings in the development of the substantiation of competitiveness; 2) representatives of educational sciences and psychology develop a philosophical methodological base for research of specialists' competitiveness within their branches of science. In their research, the authors combine both of these approaches in conducting interdisciplinary research. Research results show that the competitiveness of the academic staff can be viewed in several aspects: 1) as a set of different characteristics (qualities) which are considered to be competitive advantages: 2) characteristics of competitive activities manifestations in the higher education environment. Three levels of the higher education environment are important in assessing the competitiveness of university teachers: the level of the local higher education environment (university level), the level of the national higher education environment and the level of the global higher education environment.