Network Interaction of Universities in the Context of the Russian Arctic Development

Abstract

The article considers network interaction of Russian universities to solve strategic problems of macroregions development. Network interaction is a common model of cooperation between universities abroad, and in recent years, in connection with the new challenges facing Russian education, it has become relevant for Russian universities. The article briefly presents the main forms of organization and methods of managing network interaction, its advantages over traditional types of joint activities of universities. Based on the four years of work in the framework of the Association “National Arctic Research and Education Consortium” (NAREC), the authors analyze the experience of cooperation between universities in the interests of the development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. Four key areas of activity are considered: 1) expert and analytical support of personnel training and research; 2) Arctic-focused educational programs and projects; 3) support and promotion of scientific research on Arctic topics among students; 4) creation of joint information space. The article demonstrates the significant results of their implementation for each of these directions. These include monitoring the state of training of personnel with higher education and developing professional standards, developing educational products, including network programs and mass open online courses on Arctic topics, participating in international projects, conducting a national competition for student papers, as well as accumulating information related to training and research on Arctic topics. Based on the best practices of the Association “NAREC” and the difficulties encountered in the implementation of the network interaction model, the authors formulated practical recommendations for the development of interregional scientific and educational cooperation.