Who will be a priority in state education policy?

Alexander Klyagin is a candidate of economic sciences and a leading expert of the project-based learning laboratory "University Development" at the Institute of Education of the Higher School of Economics. He is actively involved in scientific research and has co-authored numerous analytical papers on university development in Russia. His work contributes to the understanding and analysis of contemporary trends in higher education and offers solutions for improving the quality of educational processes and university management.

Alexander Klyagin shared his findings on the potential for university participation in the Priority 2030 program on his personal Facebook account.

University applications for participation in the program are accepted until August 6. At least one hundred Russian universities participating in the Priority program are expected to receive a base grant of 100 million rubles annually, and some will be eligible for additional financial support. This is the largest university support program in modern Russian history. Will it be suitable for all regions of the country? Alexander Klyagin discusses this in his opinion, published with the author's permission.

Competition - 1.3 universities per place

To be admitted to universities, you must meet three main criteria: more than four thousand points, income over one billion rubles, and more than 5% of income directed to research and development (R&D). These parameters are important for assessing candidates and their ability to successfully study at higher education institutions.

According to the three established criteria, 134 higher education institutions meet these requirements. Of these, 133 are public, and one private educational institution - Synergy.

It's important to consider the second entry point—a quota for five creative universities. Thus, 28% of all public universities will be eligible for additional state financial support starting in the first year of the program. This means the competition will be 1.3 universities per spot, assuming the 100 planned participating universities.

In the area of pedagogical universities, only the following institutions meet the three criteria: the A.I. Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, the Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University, and Minin University, which are under the jurisdiction of the Russian Ministry of Education. Moscow City Pedagogical University, which is under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Government, also meets these criteria. These educational institutions provide high-quality training for teaching staff in the country.

Candidates for Success

It should be noted that there are two more entrances to the program that also deserve attention.

For the third entrance to the program, universities must meet the requirements for two of the three main criteria. As a result, an additional 81 educational institutions can be included in the program, including five private universities.

This entrance increases the program coverage to 42% of all public universities.

Important aspects of the program: universities that join through the third entrance will not receive funding until they meet all three criteria. At this stage, they can only be considered candidates for participation in the program.

The ideology of this approach is that universities striving for development but not meeting the established selection criteria should not be excluded from the strategic academic leadership process. They have the opportunity to become part of this circle of participants if they improve their positions with support from regions or federal executive authorities. This helps increase the universities' contribution to regional and industry development, which, in turn, contributes to the achievement of national goals. Support and cooperation between universities and government authorities play a key role in creating a sustainable educational environment and increasing competitiveness at the national level.

An analysis of several candidates may reveal a pessimistic outcome, which indicates the inertial development of universities and the inevitable accession to stronger and more sought-after educational institutions.

The region or federal executive authority must provide co-financing until the university confirms that it meets three key criteria. It's difficult to imagine that the third stage will attract a significant number of applications with confirmed co-financing corresponding to the basic portion of the subsidy, which amounts to up to 100 million rubles. However, such a possibility exists.

Difficult Mergers

The fourth entrance is possible only during reorganization. Mergers of universities are always a complex and lengthy process. In some regions, such mergers may negatively impact competition. Therefore, it is important to carefully analyze the potential risks and consequences. This requires systematic work and proper organization of communication with key stakeholders. It is necessary to plan all steps in advance, and not react to changes when processes have already become irreversible.

It should be noted that this analysis did not take into account the possibilities of mergers of universities with research organizations, as well as regional and local characteristics. Also, no analysis of the effectiveness of possible merger decisions was conducted. As a result, the data presented are only preliminary estimates of the overall possibilities.

There are two main scenarios for regions whose universities do not meet the entry criteria of the program, and a "consolidation of assets" scenario for regions with universities that meet two or even all three criteria. In the case of consolidation, the emphasis is on the strategic motives for mergers. An analysis of these scenarios identifies 36 entities in which mergers can be implemented with minimal procedural difficulties. Currently, 283 public universities, representing 58% of the total number of public educational institutions, are not included in the reorganization program. These universities do not meet all three criteria required for participation in the process and, for various reasons, including a lack of regional support, are not eligible for co-financing. This creates serious challenges for their further development and sustainability in the context of the modern education system. Recently, one might have heard the call, "Universities of all regions, unite!" but in this situation, humor is inappropriate. This is especially true for those educational institutions for which such changes have become a serious challenge. It is important to wish them strength, patience, and good luck in overcoming new challenges.

Will consortia help?

At the first stage of participation in the program, universities from 54 regions of Russia out of a possible 82 are represented, which is 65% of the constituent entities of the Federation.

The third stage of the program expands the coverage to 78%, encompassing 64 of 82 regions.

Some regions, such as the Magadan, Murmansk, and Sakhalin regions, as well as Kamchatka Krai, cannot participate in the program for the first time. Universities in these regions should consider the possibility of collaborating with other universities. The creation of 19 consortia ready to participate in the Priority program was recently announced. It is important to understand how this process will be organized and what benefits it could provide for universities in these regions.

Globally, there are two main types of consortia: temporary associations that exist only for the duration of a specific project or program, and consortia that represent a merger phase. The Priority 2030 program gives universities and regions the opportunity to independently choose their own development direction. This approach promotes flexibility and adaptation of educational institutions to changing conditions and market demands, which is an important aspect of the successful implementation of educational initiatives.

An application for the Priority program competition is submitted not by the entire association, but by a specific university, which forms a consortium to implement its development program. If successful, the university gains the opportunity to distribute program funding among consortium members. Consortium members, in turn, can share responsibility for achieving the indicators set in the university's development program. This creates an effective model of cooperation and promotes a more targeted use of resources to achieve common goals.

Thus, higher education institutions that are not participating in the program can theoretically receive additional resources for their development through integration into consortia. This opens up new opportunities for collaboration, exchange of experience, and attracting investment, which contributes to improving the quality of education and scientific research. Integration into consortia allows universities to expand their horizons and reach new heights in educational and scientific activities.

In summary, given that no more than one hundred universities can participate in the program, there are two main directions for achieving systemic change in the higher education sector. The first is the need to increase funding for the program and expand the number of participating universities in the future. The second is the importance of stimulating networking through the creation of consortia. We expect that, both within the framework of the Priority program and thanks to additional support measures, it will be possible to minimize inequality in the university network and create more equal conditions for all educational institutions.

Who will be a priority in state education policy?

Contents:

Competition - 1.3 universities per place

Candidates for Success

Difficult Mergers

Will consortia help?