Systemic crisis of higher education in Russia: genesis analysis and transformation directions

This article provides a comprehensive analysis for the genesis of the systemic crisis in higher education in the Russian Federation. The author identifies key contradictions between the declared goals of training highly qualified personnel and the actual results of universities' activities, which are manifested in structural imbalances in the labor market and a mismatch between graduate competencies and the needs of the economy. The methodological basis of the research includes historical-genetic and comparative analysis, as well as the study of documents and statistical data. It is established that the fundamental cause of the crisis is the destruction of the differentiated Soviet model of universities and the uncritical adoption of Western standards (the Bologna Process), which led to the unification of the system and its detachment from the strategic needs of the national economy. The paper substantiates the necessity of changing the educational paradigm – a transition from the model of the "executive person" to the model of the "creative person". The finding of the study is development of specific state policy measures aimed at a profound transformation of the education system and its integration with the real sector of the economy to achieve technological sovereignty. Particular attention is paid to such reform directions as restoring the sectoral specialization of universities, enhancing prestige of engineering and technical education, and creating effective coordination mechanisms between universities, research centers, and industrial enterprises.

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