Pillar University Research Articles

Pillar Universities in Russia: Bibliometrics of ‘the second best’

Pillar Universities in Russia: Bibliometrics of ‘the second best’

Expanding the boundaries of the university: the Regional complex for gifted children and youth

Formation of a modern university as a driver of regional development is impossible without its participation in forming a territory’s intellectual potential, in particular, by its involvement into system of children’s additional education. This work is devoted to studying а university’s role in children’s additional education mechanisms development. Advantages of higher educational institutions in its implementation are shown. To illustrate the results of the study, the case of Don State Technical University, a Pillar University of the region, is presented. Role, structure and specificities of functioning of the Regional complex for gifted children and youth, which is created at the Pillar University, are shown.

Programs and Activities for Gifted Youth at Pillar University

An important task of pillar university within the framework of the implementation of the “third mission” is the work with gifted schoolchildren and youth of the region. The education programs and activities are aimed at involving them in scientific and innovation activities, identifying talents, early career guidance, attracting talented students to the region. For this purpose, Sochi State University has developed a number of projects of various target orientations, including with partners (Educational Center “Sirius”, ANO “Sea of Ideas”, etc.), which allows us to expand the geography of admission and raise the initial level of applicants’ training. This article presents the experience of SSU in working with talented schoolchildren and young people, including such projects as the organization of the All-Russian Multidisciplinary Engineering Olympiad “Zvezda”, Classes with talented schoolchildren in preparing them for participation in competitions, “Venture Accelerator”, “Improving teachers’ qualification to work in regional research and educational centers”, “Formation of a sociological portrait of applicants, students and graduates of educational programs of secondary vocational education providing training for the most popular, new and promising professions and specialties of secondary vocational education”.

Development of Science and Practical Activities at Pillar University

The article presents the mechanisms, regional effects and the model of refocusing scientific and practical activities of Sochi State University from fragmentary research in certain areas of applied science (in the past) to complex interdisciplinary projects. These projects are being implemented since the university was granted a status of a pillar university in Krasnodar territory and aimed at ensuring sustainable development of Sochi and the region as a whole. As a result of the implementation of the flagship strategic project “Expert-Analytical Center ‘Agency of Modern Technologiesfor SustainableTourism’”, an interdisciplinary expert-analytical,scientific, consulting, and information-communication environment has been formed at Sochi State University in order to increase the efficiency of cooperation between government, business, local consumers and tourist services, as well asto overcome the barriersto the socio-economic development ofthe region and to the natural balance between the generations.The aim isto develop and putinto practice the measurable quantities of forecasting processes in the system “nature – economy – society – man” for the subsequentspreading of acquired experience to other territories.The implementation ofthe project stimulated the growth of university credibility with the regional representatives of the innovation community and allowed to increase the number of industrial partners, the amount of R & D funded from extrabudgetary sources to 82%, including 43% of small and medium businesses.

Sochi State University as a Driver of Event Volunteering in the Region

The development of the volunteer movement is one of the important tasks of the state policy of modern Russia. Today, many universities create on their basis volunteer centers (EC), which are one of the best mechanisms for attracting young people to solving urgent problems of the development of society, an additional pedagogical and personal-developing resource. This article presents the results of the implementation by Sochi State University (SSU), which is a pillar higher education institution of the Krasnodar Territory, the strategic project “Resource Center for Event Volunteering”, aimed at ensuring the sustainable development of volunteering in the region and the Russian Federation as a whole. Volunteering is viewed as an institution of civil society and the basis for implementing long-term socio-cultural projects. The article describes the experience of the SSU in the development of volunteerism in the region, the improvement of its resource provision, the establishment of cooperation in solving these problems with the authorities, administration and the management of volunteer organizations of pillar universities and the region. A flexible universal model of training volunteers and organizers of the volunteer movement, organizational and managerial conditions and scientific and methodological approaches to the organization of student volunteering are presented. The results of their implementation in the region are described. The authors substantiate the expediency of the creation of volunteering resource centers in the regions, providing educational organizations with a range of information, advisory and methodological services in the field of volunteering.

Merger of Higher Education Institutions and Educational Competitiveness: Interrelationship Issues

In the context of Russian higher education modernization, merger of universities is viewed as one of the tools to increase their competitiveness. At the same time, the impact of the unification of universities on the competitiveness of their educational activities has not been subjected to special research. In this regard, the purpose of this publication is to substantiate scientifically the key aspects of the relationship between the merger of universities and the competitiveness of their educational activities in order to develop practical recommendations for managing the process of university merger.As an empirical base of the research, the published data on 53 leading universities in Russia were used, most of them have experienced merger processes (federal universities, Universities of Project 5-100, national research universities, “first wave” pillar universities). As a methodical basis for the study, we used generalization, comparison, abstraction, prediction; methods of empirical research: interviewing focus groups, content analysis of universities’ Web sites, expert evaluation, case-method.The paper considers the theoretical and methodological grounds of university competitiveness in the conditions of higher education modernization, measurement indicators and factors influencing the competitiveness of university’s educational activity. The analysis of the results of university merger is carried out, the specifics of this processes as an instrument for the development of higher education in Russia is highlighted. A methodology has been developed and implemented to justify the interconnection of universities and the competitiveness of their educational activities. The key aspects of the interconnection of university associations and the competitiveness of their educational activities have been determined, taking into account the positive and negative effects resulting from the merger. The author gives practical recommendations on managing the process of university merger with the purpose to increase the level of competitiveness of their educational activities.The results of the conducted research show the direct relationship between the process of universities’ merger and the preservation of their competitiveness in the development of educational activities. The author stresses the predominantly positive impact of merger processes on the educational potential of an enlarged university.

FLAGSHIP UNIVERSITY ROLE IN PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PRACTICES

The case presented in the article describes the experience of organizing and functioning of initiative groups from Petrozavodsk State University conducting research in the field of public and administrative communication. This experience was accompanied with expert activities and organizing dialogue involving university representatives and public and administrative institutions of the region in the context of tasks determined by the status of pillar university. The aim of the article is to define possible forms of university community influence on forming public agenda in the region in the context of pillar university development asks based on the description of social involvement parameters of university initiative groups created in 2015-2017. Because of obtaining the status of pillar university in 2017 PetSU focused the main vector of university development on solving the tasks of forming innovation infrastructure and organizational design which suggests implementation of renewed mission and strengthening the social role of the university in the region. Alongside with actualization of university interaction with main stakeholders ensuring stable regional development existing practices of university public participation in intersectoral interaction system also play an important role. Many of them result from implementing strategic development program «University complex of PetSU in academic and educational space of European North: innovation development strategy» (2012-2016 гг.). Since 2015 within this program several initiative projects on studying public and administrative interaction in Republic of Kareliya were conducted. Peculiar features of organizing and implementing these projects are analyzed in this article. The results of project activities were used as the basis for forming overall interaction system for initiative groups’ members and external partners, authorities and republic administration, public consulting structures and public organizations. Practical use of experience in organizing interdisciplinary teams and results of initiative projects are reviewed in the discourse of university third mission. The forms of social involvement presented in this case can be used in constructing interaction between pillar university with main actors participating in the process of regional development management. Project materials are analyzed with the help of such methods as event - analysis, comparison, structural and functional analysis in the framework of «case-study» research strategy. Case review is preceded by literature review on the topic of university social role. Original nature of this article is in the analysis of pillar university participation in the system of communication between public and administration. Use of experience allowing for defining social partnership patterns in the process of forming regional agenda demonstrates opportunities which are initially seen in intersectoral dialogue at the local level in the context of solving individual tasks. Multiplication of interaction cases gives cumulative effect which reveals new opportunities of university influence on the state of regional public sphere. Presented information can have practical implementation in renewing forms of social involvement as an integral part of the third mission. Generalization of existing social partnership practices is important for organizing interaction with regional society on a higher level of pillar university development management.

COMPARATIVE COMPETITIVENESS OF RUSSIAN FLAGSHIP UNIVERSITIES

The article is prepared based on materials of the research on competitiveness of Russian universities with different status: 5-100 Project participants, federal universities, national research universities, classical universities of Privolzhsk Federal Area, pillar universities of the first and the second wave. At present state of development of higher education system of Russia there is already practical experience of upgrading efficacy which is important for involving potential for modernization of regional pillar universities activities in the process of effective regional development. The aim of this research article is to evaluate competitiveness of different groups of pillar universities of the first and second waves on the basis of benchmarking analysis using the data of National university efficacy monitoring - 2017 conducted by Interfax group. The results of the research allowed for identifying problem areas decreasing competitiveness of pillar universities at the national higher education market. According to the results of research it was defined that after the first year of the pillar universities development program implementation we witness lower average scores of overall and individual ratings formed within the National university rating. Correlation analysis results demonstrated that first year results of first wave pillar university development program show strengthening of modernization activities effect on the position of universities in the National university rating and their competitiveness. Conducted research demonstrates insufficient competitiveness of second wave pillar universities group in comparison with other university groups. Research conducted by the author does not claim the full representation of all potential pillar universities of Russia as it covers only winners of competitions for becoming pillar universities in 2015 and 2017. At the same time it allows for formulating main directions for improving competitiveness of pillar universities. Novelty and originality of the article is as follows: a) task -setting; improving university competitiveness management mechanisms based on external management reserves, including regional ones, b) suggested approach to solving it on the basis of generalizing best practices of interaction between regional innovation system actors, including pillar universities; c) suggested conceptual model of modernizing pillar universities main activities directions in the context of upgrading their efficacy. Practical importance of the research is defined by the fact that pillar universities managers obtain mechanisms for evaluating and upgrading competitiveness which should be supported by harmonization with mechanisms of region’s competitiveness comparative evaluation (with the aim of upgrading efficacy of university strategic projects management, modernization of educational activities on the basis of implementing project - oriented study, modernization of educational, research and innovation activities using the potential of private - state partnership), introducing mechanisms of value - oriented approach (for upgrading efficacy of university and region human capital involvement), development of mechanisms of interaction with regional innovation system actors (with the aim of maximal use of regional innovation and economic systems potential). The article is an attempt to evaluate competitiveness of national pillar universities and define the ways of improving it. It can be of interest to higher education system researchers in the context of improving approaches to university management.

RESULTS OF PILLAR UNIVERSITIES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION FOR 2016

2016 witnessed the first stage of implementing development program of pillar universities of the first wave of competition selection. The article presents a short description of the program, pillar university models and quality analysis of the results of program development implementation results in 2016 based on monitoring results. Conducted analysis allows for concluding that besides performing plans in terms of efficacy indicators and road map implementation, pillar universities in 2016 obtained real results in the field of changing their position in the region and forming proactive position in facilitating social and economic development of relevant Russian Federation regions. This allowed pillar universities for initiating processes of forming regional innovation infrastructure: opening techno-parks, business - incubators, collective use centers, etc.; initiating absolutely new formats of interaction with the region aimed at developing local communities, municipal and regional environment; intensifying the work with strategic partners in the Russian Federation. This article addresses project teams of Russian universities.

NEW MODELS OF UNIVERSITIES: CONTRIBUTION TO REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The aim of this article is the analysis of new models from the point of view of modern universities’ influence on regional development and options for choosing implementation models by regional pillar universities. On the basis of conducted research he author describes modern university models: entrepreneurial university, regional innovation system university, university with new form of knowledge generation, engaged university. Particular focus is made on the choice of the model by pillar university. Using the example of Kemerovo State University the author proposes possible implementation of engaged university model in a new development strategy. The article identifies limitations of university influence on regional development and points out the need for developing the methods of evaluating pillar university’s influences on regional development.

UNIVERSITY MERGERS IN RUSSIA: FOUR WAVES OF EDUCATIONAL POLICY

This article is aimed at identifying key peculiarities of such type of educational policy as university mergers -their main stages, types and declared aims. During the research we analyzed cases of university mergers and takeovers since 1990s to present moment which allowed for identifying and describing four Russia - specific educational policy waves. Based on the authors' classification, there are given basic characteristics for each of identified waves: «Universitization», «Federal Universities)), «Optimization», «Pillar Universities)). Classification grounds include such possible forks as similarity of university academic profiles, formal hierarchy of uniting organizations, remote geographical positions, and, importantly, subject of decision making concerning mergers. Besides that, the article for the first time introduces into the context of university merger research such notions as «mobilization», «optimiza-tion», and «reprofilization» describing basic motives of university reorganization. Prevailing motive behind each of the merger waves is also given. The research presented can be continued in the form of detailed analysis of university mergers process with particular attention to «human factor» of merger procedure and creation of new organizational culture in merged universities. The results of this research can be used in planning potential mergers and evaluating completed university reorganizations.