Neoliberal Reforms in Higher Education and the Import of Institutions

Abstract

The implementation of neoliberal reforms in higher education coincides with the radical institutional changes in the transition from a planned to a market economy. The modernization of higher education is also connected with the concept of the “entrepreneurial” university that represents a third-generation university with an emphasis on optimization and marketing. However, economic policy aimed at reforming and developing the public sector is based on the import of institutions related to the production of public and mixed goods. In this paper, we show that neoliberal reforms threaten the welfare state in transition economies such as the Russian Federation. In addition to marketing, monetization, and commercialization, all areas of the public sector underwent an optimization policy, which primarily implied a relative reduction in the cost of producing public goods. The rhetoric of the marketing of education represents the modern state’s masked refusal to fulfill a part of its social obligations. Moreover, we argue that market channels intended for financing education are highly dependent on the income level of the population, the availability of institutions and the infrastructure for raising funds, and, most importantly, the development of the educational services market. Within this context, another significant factor is represented by the positive externalities from the prevalence and quality of education. Thence, our results show that insufficient private demand for education, including higher education, can negatively affect the prospects for the country’s socio-economic development in the medium and long run.

University 4.0 within the context of the sustainable development of higher education

“…In medieval Europe, the universities were an important source of education for young men and women of all ages, not just for the elite. They also played an important role in promoting a new generation of leaders and in developing a well-educated citizen [11,12]. The history of universities is very different, however, and there are a number of historians who sometimes refer to this form of higher education as a university for convenience.…”

Digital Methods and Formation of Labor Potential

“…Each diagnostic complex was generalized, the purpose of which is to determine the values, needs, knowledge, skills, abilities and personal qualities of future service professionals, which are obtained during the continuous pedagogical process from first to fourth year and reproduce indicators of readiness for professional activity [3,4]. improvement of a technique of designing of forms, methods and means of professional training of future specialists in the field of service [5][6][7][8].…”

“…Conducting a survey of teachers and students to assess the effectiveness of the traditional organization of the educational environment of professional training of future service professionals and the feasibility of changing the existing project of the educational environment of vocational training by means of experimental methods. 5. Research of the possibilities of the teaching staff, indicated by the Free Economic Zone on the purposeful introduction of the methodology of designing the educational environment of professional training of future specialists in the field of service.…”

Sustainable development of the universities in the 21st century

“…In today's rapidly globalising world, our society is experiencing many global problems that transcend nations and regions [1]. In line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), global problems related to poverty, climate change, human rights, environmental degradation and economic development must be addressed by the international community [2]. It is upon the higher educational institutions (HEIs) such as universities and other educational and research institutions to develop curricula aimed at finding solutions to these new problems and overcoming them by developing a global approach to education, research and research in the field of sustainable development [3].…”