Sustainable Education as a Factor in Regional Socio-economic

Development

N. V. Dubiv

, T. R. Zmyzgova

and E. N. Polyakova

Kurgan State University, Kurgan, Russian Federation

Keywords: Engineering Education, Entrepreneurial University, Digital Transformation, "Engineer 4.0", "Education 4.0".

Abstract: Sustainable development of the Russian Federation and its regions is among the most important tasks of the

present time. Modern theoretical-methodological and scientific searches are aimed at establishing the factors

of sustainable development of territorial socio-economic systems. The article is devoted to the study and

structuring of practice-oriented and methodological approaches to regional development in the context of

adapting the education system to the tasks of the digital economy. The main aspects of education system

development, goals and objectives of national projects and programs in the field of economy, education and

digitalization are considered. It is shown that the most important strategic direction of technological

modernization of Russia is the improvement of the education system, the development of human resources

capable of responding to innovative challenges and having the necessary professional competencies to

implement large-scale projects in high-tech and knowledge-intensive industries. It is separately noted that the

organization of scientific and educational clusters is designed to guarantee the staff potential for the

development of innovative sectors of the economy, to provide points of growth of the investment climate in

Russia. It is shown that at present time there is a transition of innovations development to the regional level,

the issues related to generation and commercialization of scientific knowledge acquire great importance. The

concept of entrepreneurial university, new opportunities and risks of digital transformation are considered.

1 INTRODUCTION

The idea of education for sustainable regional

development is based on achieving a balance between

economic wellbeing and the socio-cultural

environment. Education, as a tool of socialization,

starting from pre-school age, should prepare the

younger generation for scientific and technological

innovations, social change, and contribute to the

formation of an active position in solving social

problems. Economic and socio-cultural development

of the Russian regions can only be achieved by

creating a socially responsible society that is ready to

adapt to new dynamically changing conditions

provided that the education system is effectively

integrated into the socio-economic environment of

the region.

The digitalization of socio-economic processes

and the need to revise approaches to learning during

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4340-4262

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https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4847-7468

the spread of coronavirus infection in spring 2020

have posed a number of challenges for universities

related to the implementation of educational

programmes using e-learning and distance learning

technologies in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic

spread worldwide, most countries announced the

temporary closure of schools and universities, which

affected over 91% of the world's learners. Under these

unprecedented conditions, the coordinated efforts of

all participants in the educational process, the support

of federal and regional governments, strategic

partners enabled educational institutions of various

levels to organize a rapid response system based on

blended learning technologies, including distance

learning technologies, e-learning, various video

communication services, introduction of pedagogical

design elements in online courses, asynchronous

learning modes and ready-made packaged courses.

650

Dubiv, N., Zmyzgova, T. and Polyakova, E.

Sustainable Education as a Factor in Regional Socio-economic Development.

DOI: 10.5220/0010595406500655

In Proceedings of the International Scientiﬁc and Practical Conference on Sustainable Development of Regional Infrastructure (ISSDRI 2021), pages 650-655

ISBN: 978-989-758-519-7

Higher education institutions have begun to

develop strategies for distance mobility, to train

teachers to work with students in a digital

environment, to assess their actions through

reflection, which helps participants in the educational

process to formulate the results obtained, to receive

feedback from students, to redefine the goals for

further work, ultimately contributing to an individual

educational trajectory.

2 ECONOMICS AND

EDUCATION: REGIONAL

ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

With the rapid development of globalisation and

informatisation processes, the level and pace of

development of the national economy are inextricably

linked to the state of the constituent entities of the

Russian Federation. The current economic condition

of the Russian regions is characterized by a number

of problems of innovative and technological nature.

The most relevant question becomes: what should be

the driving force behind the socio-economic

development of the regions? One of the most

important indicators of socio-economic development

of the region is science and innovation, namely:

 Internal expenditure on R&D;

 Volume of R&D performed;

 Volume of innovative products;

 Expenditures on technological innovation;

 Innovation activity;

 Number of patents for invention / Patent

activity.

Obviously, the scientific and technological

potential of each subject of the Russian Federation is

primarily characterized by the state of (research and

education) space, the most important subjects of

which are universities. The region is becoming a

subject of competitive relations, the task of providing

the regional economy with highly qualified

personnel, who are able to adapt quickly to the

requirements of the economic system and the labor

market, is relevant (Alikaeva et al., 2018). The

solution to this problem is increasingly shifting

towards improving the management of the regional

education system and its interaction with the

productive sector. At the same time, the status of

universities as subjects of socio-economic

development of regions is increasing (Zmyzgova et

al., 2017).

The need for continuous improvement of

education system management determines the

relevance and practical significance of the

development of new mechanisms of regional

education policy (Shidov et al., 2018). In these

conditions it is important to realize the innovative

potential of tripartite mechanism of interaction

between the state, business and universities.

It can be argued that there is now a steady trend

towards the transformation of universities towards

generating not only the knowledge that the university

community has traditionally provided, but also that

knowledge and in the specified timeframe that

stakeholders need. The main stakeholders of the

university in the external environment are the state

represented by ministries and agencies, region,

business community, non-profit organisations,

educational networks, reference communities; in the

internal environment - teaching staff, University staff,

students and university communities.

The activities of the education system should be

aimed at meeting the needs of the population and the

economy of a particular territory. Comprehensive

development of regional education systems means

their transition to a qualitatively new state, growth of

their potential, which will lead to increased

opportunities for the implementation of educational

needs of an individual, society and the state. Taken

together, all these factors should contribute to the

formation of modern regional educational space,

which has a high scientific and technical potential and

guarantees progressive regional development. Today,

the success of a particular university depends on the

coordinated actions of all participants of the

educational process and representatives of society,

business and government. It is important for the

university to take into account the interests and needs

of all these parties, to conduct an ongoing dialogue

with them and provide an opportunity to influence the

key factors of the university's activity.

The year 2021, as the year of science and

technology, imposes a certain responsibility in

solving the problem of development of intellectual

potential of the country. The need to achieve new

benchmarks should motivate the interest of

businesses to participate in the whole chain of the

technological process, from fundamental education

and science to the scaling up of new high-tech

Russian inventions and developments.

What are the mechanisms through which this can

be implemented?

 Inclusion of the main regional partners in the

collegial structures of HEI management, their

responsible role in managerial decision-

Sustainable Education as a Factor in Regional Socio-economic Development

651

making. (Establishment of employers' council

for training areas; active participation of

enterprises in regular updating of curricula);

 Internships for students in these enterprises,

internships for teachers;

 Project-based learning;

 Dual education;

 Scientific research to meet the real needs of

enterprises;

 Creation of joint laboratories, branded

classrooms;

 Participation of teaching staff in expert and

scientific-technical councils of enterprises.

On 20 January 2021, President of the Russian

Academy of Sciences Alexander Sergeyev at the first

meeting of the organizing committee for the Year of

Science and Technology in Russia noted the priority

of measures aimed at encouraging private companies

to engage in practical cooperation with scientific

institutes: "For example, for this purpose the RAS

together with the ASI will work to attract both

representatives of the business community and

developers of scientific and technological solutions

who already have their 'success stories' to the forum

'Areas of National Scientific and Technological

Breakthrough 2030' to find opportunities for

industrial implementation of Russian scientific

developments.

2.1 Entrepreneurial University: An

Incentive for Innovative Regional

Development

Russia is currently witnessing a trend towards a new

approach in classifying Russian universities:

educational, research and entrepreneurial.

Educational universities focus exclusively on

academic programmes, which are largely

implemented with full public funding, including in

the form of subsidies and grants. This category

includes small regional universities, which have few

or no serious resources to engage in research.

Research universities are capable of building up

their own research activities by setting up their own

R&D laboratories and making money on R&D.

A third type of university is the entrepreneurial

type. These universities have considerable potential

for funding R&D and its commercialisation.

Entrepreneurial universities are characterised by

diversified funding, relying primarily on their own

resources; increasing self-financing as compared to

public funding.

This type of universities can become the main key

to the economic stability of regional and national

economies, contribute to the growth of industrial

production, innovation, creation of new high-tech and

knowledge-intensive industries and jobs.

The foundations of the concept of

"entrepreneurial university" are laid by B. Clarke

(Burton and Clark, 2011). The main criteria of the

entrepreneurial university are orientation to new

sources of funding, initiation of new activities,

creation of new business organisations,

demonstration of entrepreneurial behaviour. Classic

examples of entrepreneurial universities are the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford

University and a number of European universities.

Universities of the third type consider the

entrepreneurial aspect in their educational, scientific,

innovative, educational and other types of activities,

provide knowledge and develop skills that contribute

to the development of entrepreneurial thinking, while

forming their own ecosystem of entrepreneurship

around the university.

Entrepreneurial universities play a key role in the

innovative development of regions, ensure the

transfer of new knowledge and technologies, create

scientific and technological clusters (business

incubators, small innovative enterprises, educational

and scientific innovation complexes, educational and

scientific production complexes, science parks, etc.)

for new enterprises and organisations, and launch

innovative regional initiatives.

A network of leading Russian universities

(Zmyzgova et al., 2020) has now been formed in

Russia as part of large-scale governmental measures

and they are trying out various forms and schemes of

educational and scientific-production integration. In

2011, the Skolkovo Foundation and a number of

Russian universities created the Association of

Entrepreneurial Universities of Russia. The

declaration was signed on September 28, 2011 at the

St. Petersburg International Innovation Forum. The

initiators of creation of the association were the

Skolkovo Foundation and the St. Petersburg National

Research University of Information Technologies,

Mechanics and Optics. Besides them, the declaration

was signed by the Moscow Institute of Physics and

Technology, National Research Nuclear University,

Tomsk State University of Control Systems and

Radioelectronics and National Research

Technological University.

Every year, starting in 2016, the contribution of

Russian universities to the development of the

national economy is assessed. A subject ranking of

universities' scientific performance, an index of

ISSDRI 2021 - International Scientiﬁc and Practical Conference on Sustainable Development of Regional Infrastructure

652

inventive activity, as well as a ranking of

entrepreneurial universities are compiled.

The study assesses the contribution of Russian

universities to the global development of

technological entrepreneurship, including startups

created by university graduates.

In 2020, the final ranking included 46 Russian

universities, and only those universities with at least

ten startups were considered. A separate ranking of

business schools and economic universities

(Financial University, Russian Academy of National

Economy and Public Administration, Plekhanov

Russian University of Economics, etc.) was prepared.

On February 15, 2021, the first meeting of the

organizing committee for the Year of Science and

Technology in Russia was held, chaired by

Presidential Aide Andrey Fursenko and Deputy

Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko. Alexander

Sergeev, President of the Russian Academy of

Sciences, noted the priority of measures aimed at

encouraging private companies to engage in practical

cooperation with scientific institutions: "For example,

for this purpose, the RAS together with the ASI will

work to attract both representatives of the business

community and developers of scientific and

technological solutions who already have their

'success stories' to the forum "Areas of National

Scientific and Technological Breakthrough 2030" in

order to find opportunities for industrial

implementation of Russian scientific developments".

According to Dmitry Chernyshenko, "defining

new benchmarks that we intend to achieve, including

through digital mechanisms, will increase business

interest in participating in the entire chain of the

technological process - from fundamental science to

the scaling of Russian inventions and developments".

2.2 Engineering Education as the Basis

for Regional Economic

Development. "Engineer 4.0"

In the context of regional socio-economic

development, it is primarily necessary to note the

need for radical changes in engineering and business

education. It is they that should focus on the long-

term systemic processes of regional economy

transition to the new digital technology platform

(Prokofiev et al., 2018).

The urgent question for universities is how

employers' interest in new, well connected business

with education and science (Pecherskaya et al., 2020),

contributing to the development of innovative type of

entrepreneurship, ensuring the transfer of knowledge,

research and development results to the external

environment; trained development engineers convert

into concrete interaction (Vásquez Bernal, 2012).

Many enterprises are now in a situation of

constant technological renewal and they need to scale

their innovation environment, which in turn requires

a transition to new organisational solutions and the

development of new professional competencies

among employees. It can be argued that the

competence profiles of managers and engineers are

currently being integrated. Obviously, this trend

should be reflected in the educational programmes of

primary general, secondary vocational and higher

education institutions. It is necessary to develop

training programmes for system engineers for new

business areas to create complex technical systems

and products together with technological

entrepreneurs who will be able to design new

technological production processes.

Universities need to implement a rapid transition

to a "university-partner" model in aligning

educational programmes with enterprises, and it is

important to move from a highly specialised engineer

to a multidisciplinary staffing approach of the

"engineer - researcher - technological entrepreneur"

type. Obviously, under these conditions, it is

necessary to expand the functional block of basic

knowledge on new technological platform solutions

in business education, while engineering education

should emphasise the inclusion of technical systems

in investment cycles.

Technological developments are leading to the

fourth industrial revolution, resulting in Industry 4.0,

which is based on artificial intelligence, robotics and

the internet of things. "Industry 4.0 will force

universities to change their approach to educating

engineers (Baygin et al., 2016). We can talk about the

specialisation "Engineer 4.0" as an important link in

the fourth industrial revolution of "Industry 4.0".

Who are "Engineers 4.0"? They are professionals

who understand modern processes and the changing

world of the fourth revolution, and are able to adapt

very quickly. They are systems engineers who

understand the lifecycle of production systems of

various nature, build their activities using digital

twins and artificial intelligence systems, and possess

a unique set of engineering competencies soft skills

(Zmyzgova et al., 2020).

The main trends of Industry 4.0, such as the

Internet of Things, additive manufacturing, virtual

and augmented reality, robotics, artificial

intelligence, and big data are reflected in engineering

education (Calderón et al., 2020). New disciplines

and training modules are appearing in the educational

programmes and curricula to take into account the

Sustainable Education as a Factor in Regional Socio-economic Development

653

peculiarities occurring in modern industrial

production (Jeganathan et al., 2018).

We can talk about the concept of innovative

approach "Education 4.0", which should correspond

to "Industry 4.0" and prepare students for the next

industrial revolution, which will occur in their lives.

2.3 "Education 4.0: Drivers of Digital

Technologies in Learning

The introduction of elements of Industry 4.0 into

industry and production requires an expansion of

digital competences. Increasingly, companies are

thinking about digital twins in production, artificial

intelligence for operational and emergency decision-

making and for predicting the condition of

equipment. Adoption of artificial intelligence will

enable machines and robots to adapt to change

(Ciolacu et al., 2017).

Creative human capital, which is characterised by

knowledge and skills in high-tech areas, continuing

education and a willingness to change, is crucially

important in this environment. These are new

educational opportunities for which the concept of e-

learning exists (Prokofiev et al., 2019).

"Industry 4.0" needs specialists at a

fundamentally different level. Flexible educational

paradigms, which will allow universities to overcome

infrastructural limitations, using their educational

technologies and cross-platform resources, will be the

basis for the new format of learning.

In (Jeganathan et al., 2018) new approaches in

organising content for Education 4.0 are considered.

In particular, a discipline-independent curriculum

structure of Education 4.0, which combines all

engineering disciplines to create a unique discipline

called "Engineering 4.0", is proposed instead of the

current discipline-dependent curricula.

The term '4.0' refers to new technical capabilities

for which the concept of e-learning or digital learning

already exists. Alongside traditional approaches to

learning, new e-learning formats are being

considered. Some of them are intended for mass

learning (Massive Open Online Courses, MOOC) and

others for a small number of learners (Single Point Of

Contact, SPOC). In terms of the use of e-learning

tools in the Russian educational space, a trend can

now be noted towards the refinement of existing and

the creation of their own, new or significantly

improved, e-learning tools (Golitsyna, 2020).

On 19 November 2020, Resolution No. 1836 of

the Government of the Russian Federation "On the

State Information System "Modern Digital

Educational Environment" was adopted. It is planned

to develop the state information system "Modern

Digital Educational Environment", which, based on

the "one-stop-shop" principle, will provide students

with access to online courses based on various

educational platforms thanks to a unified system of

user authentication. The information system is being

created as part of the implementation of the federal

project "Young Professionals (Increasing the

Competitiveness of Professional Education)" of the

national project "Education".

The development of online territories will lead to

an even greater global competition of universities.

Under these conditions, the geographical boundaries

of education and science will be blurred and

universities will have an additional opportunity to

define their own position in the new online space. The

introduction of digital transformation processes

increases the mobility of scientists, opens up new

opportunities for joint research and scientific

activities aimed at ensuring the competitiveness of the

state in the global arena.

3 CONCLUSIONS

The success of Russian regions in terms of digital

leadership is largely ensured by the activity of

regional authorities, which should envisage the

availability of conditions that provide accessible

infrastructure, the creation of digital projects,

scientific and technological clusters, where the efforts

of educational organizations and enterprises are

combined. The incentives for regional development

should be readiness for digital transformation, the

interaction of universities with flagship enterprises,

which make significant steps towards digital

technologies, invest serious resources in the

development and implementation of innovations.

To ensure a digital social and economic

breakthrough, Russian regions must attract many

young, talented professionals, future Engineers 4.0,

who not only have a good understanding of the

essence of current technological changes, but also

demonstrate a willingness to innovate, have the

necessary competencies, practical experience in

working with new tools.

Personnel training, the education system is the

main task in the large-scale digital transformation. It

is necessary to provide comprehensive support to

educational initiatives in constituent entities of the

Russian Federation, to provide comprehensive

support to digitalisation processes in all aspects of

economic activity, which will produce rapid

economic effects: intensification and automation of

business processes; optimisation of management

systems; formation of a reserve for new types of

ISSDRI 2021 - International Scientiﬁc and Practical Conference on Sustainable Development of Regional Infrastructure

654

interactions; acceleration of economic changes; more

efficient use of resources.

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