Training of IT-Specialists in Russian Universities: Statistical Analysis

Abstract

The article presents the results of a statistical analysis of trends in the change in the number of students studying in IT specialties in Russian higher educational institutions, and also, based on the econometric methods of data analysis, characterizes universities with a high number and a significant proportion of students studying in information technology programs. The novelty of this study, according to the author, lies in the fact that the calculations are made on the basis of a large sample taking into account changes in its dynamic characteristics (information on the activities of 611 universities and 467 university branches for 2015/2016, 2017/2018 and 2019/2020 academic years was studied).Statistical analysis showed that in Russia only a few universities specialize in training students for IT field. So, in the 2019/2020 academic year, more than 60% of students studied in IT specialties in nine higher educational institutions alone. At the same time, IT-specialists are trained in half of the universities and in a third of the country's university branches. Over the period from 2015/2016 to 2019/2020 academic year, the number of students enrolled in IT specialties has increased in Russia by 31%.The regression analysis of the data revealed a positive relationship between the indicators of the number of students in IT specialties in universities (total number, absolute increase in the number and their share in total student body) and the following indicators: share of young professionals in the total number of faculty members; number of partner enterprises; number of technology parks and small businesses in the university; income from research and development and number of publications in Scopus. A negative relationship is observed between the number of students in IT specialties and the share of persons with academic degrees in the total number of faculty members, as well as between the share of students in IT specialties in the total number of students and the indicators of internationalization of the composition of students and teaching staff.The proposed approach made it possible, on the basis of a representative sample of Russian higher education institutions, to assess the relationship between the indicators of the number of IT students at the university and the results of its activities in the areas considered, as well as to determine the characteristics of higher education institutions that made a significant contribution to the training of IT specialists.The results of the study presented in the article may be of interest to the universities that plan to significantly increase the number of students in the coming years and improve the quality of admission of applicants for training in IT specialties.