From «Commercial» to «Economic» Education: the Case of Irkutsk Financial and Economic Institute of 1941–1945

Abstract

The author of the article reconstructs the shift, which occurred in the model and disciplinary structure of «commercial» education towards «economic» one. The research is based on disciplinary approach in the history of education, which builds on subject-oriented character of knowledge and empirical analysis of Irkutsk Financial and Economic Institute case. Although the shift was being discreetly prepared for several decades and included many attempts to integrate commercial functions of education with economic field, its real start was caused by external to science and education factors. The subject area of a business economics became the point of intersection for economic and commercial disciplines. The area appeared mainly due to political and ideological campaign aimed at making the enterprises’ party core groups aware of economic knowledge. The 18th All-Union Conference of Communist Party initiated the campaign in 1941. The outbreak of war forced people to view the business economics as a scientific and practical field of study, which applies many techniques and methods of economic analysis in order to ensure effective operation and reveal its potential reserves. After obtaining the right to operate beyond the scientific and practical environment, the subject area of business economics entered the higher education area, transforming its educational and research programs and integrating the disciplinary models and structures of economic and commercial education.