Abstract:

The paper evaluates the role of regional Universities in the system of higher education in Russia. The authors presents comparative study of Russian federal, national and regional Universities highlighting strengths, weaknesses, perspectives and challenges of regional higher education in Russia on the back of humanitarization of higher education. The relevance of this subject stems from current shifts of socio-economic environment in Russia, which have brought new humanitarian paradigms to the forefront. Humanitarization is regarded as a strategic penetration of cultural practices into the content of education aimed at strengthening students’ self-evolution. The authors highlight cultural context as an efficient tool to promote humanitarian content of higher education.

The authors observe and interpret current challenges and trends of regional higher education and summarize the most efficient local experiences. Relying on the experience of the Udmurt State University (Izhevsk city, Udmurtia) the article explores the correlation between the degree of competition between higher education institutions and the efficiency of regional higher education systems using evidence from the Russian Federation. For over 80 years of its history Udmurt State University has been celebrating the reputation of humanitarian, scientific, educational and cultural center of the region. With a strong focus on humanitarian facilities, internationalization and aiming to integrate into the European and worldwide education areas, Udmurt State University has been in cooperation with various universities and organizations in the Commonwealth of Independent States, Europe, Asia and America under many international partnership agreements.
Summarizing the experience of the Udmurt State University as a part of regional higher education the authors emphasize a number of strategies to intensify the process of humanitarization of modern higher education. Firstly, the government should focus its efforts on regaining equilibrium between humanitarian and natural scientific knowledge. Secondly, in order to provide high standards of higher education, schooling should provide students with the tools to develop and improve their humanitarian competences via the resources of both curricular and extracurricular activities. Thirdly, close interaction and collaboration of academic institutions with public bodies, businesses and non-governmental organizations.

Keywords:

Higher education, humanitarization, regional universities, regionalization, Udmurt State University.