Abstract:

Russian Higher Education is characterized by considerable unevenness of its development. On the one hand, there are universities in metropolitan and very large cities, which have relatively favorable conditions for their activities. On the other hand, in regions – subjects of the Russian Federation and macro-regions – federal districts of the country, there are many universities that are struggling for their survival. In recent years, they have been affected by many problems. This is a deficit of budget financing, a constant threat of liquidation or transformation into branches, a reduction in the number of pedagogical personnel, poorly motivated students for education, a low level of academic mobility, etc. Universities in macro-regions face a number of challenges, the nature of which is connected with the attempts of many universities to solve their problems independently, without resorting to collective, joint efforts. Meanwhile, there are real practices that could ultimately lead to the formation of a HE system in the macro-region as an effective response of universities to the challenges that exist.

The purpose of the article is to identify the challenges that university education in the Russian macro-regions is facing and to show real practices that could be applied in response to them.

The object of the research is the universities of the Ural macro-region (there are 53 of them), representing different types of its HE institutions.

The article is written on the basis of the sociological study of HE conducted by the scientific team of the Ural Federal University in the Urals Federal District, one of the major macro-regions of Russia. The data of HE statistics, materials of mass surveys of students and teachers of Ural universities, expert interviews were studied. The data which were analyzed are representative and reliable. The real practices of separate Ural universities aimed at confronting challenges to HE have been considered.

The main results of the research in the article can be seen as challenges to HE in the macro-region and the possible response to these challenges in the form of real and possible practices of universities. Three main challenges and, correspondingly, three main groups of real and potential practices that oppose them are analyzed in detail.

They are the following:
Challenge 1. Self-sufficiency and isolation of universities / Networking practices of universities and close relationships with stakeholders.
Challenge 2. The dominant role of universities' own interests and focus on solving their own problems / Orientation of universities to the interests of the macro-region.
Challenge 3. Risks of the linear model of HE / Practices of the nonlinear model of university development.

The practical significance of the study is that it shows how, by what resources and capabilities, universities in regions and macro-regions can find a way out of the current crisis situation. It implies the consolidation of the efforts of universities, finding effective links and cooperation between them, with stakeholders and authorities regarding the formation of HE system in the macro-region.

Keywords:

Higher education, university, Russian macro-region, challenges to education, university practices.