Позитивные изменения. Том 3, № 3 (2023). Positive changes. Volume 3, Issue 3 (2023) - Редакция журнала «Позитивные изменения»

Table 2. Distribution of Answers to the Question About Kursk State University’s Ability to Respond to External Changes (One Answer Option), %

The essence of the university’s organizational culture is largely shaped by its capacity to adapt to external shifts and fluctuations. To gauge the extent to which this attribute resonates with Kursk State University, let’s turn to the insights presented in Table 2.

We can see that a significant portion of respondents perceive KSU as an institution that is open to change and quick to respond to it. Nearly one in four respondents highlights that KSU is in a constant state of refinement, learning from its own and others’ mistakes. One in five respondents describes the university as a rather conservative entity with certain traditions. A minuscule proportion of respondents (2.7 %) believe that KSU encounters difficulties when dealing with changes and innovations. Notably, there is a higher level of critical evaluation of the university’s adaptation to external changes among teachers compared to students.

Successful adaptation to innovations, an extensively developed organizational culture, and the university’s positioning on the regional, national, and global stages collectively contribute to the positive image of Kursk State University, as indicated by 90.3 % of respondents. According to students, factors influencing this image include the high level of teaching staff qualification (83 %), accomplishments of both students and faculty members across various domains on regional, national, and global platforms (67.1 %), successful job placements of university graduates (57.9 %), the reputation of the rector, vice-rectors, deans, and department heads (51.5 %), along with several others.

The survey has also unveiled a range of challenges in the development of the organizational culture of university students and the manifestation of their organizational socialization.[128] These challenges primarily stem from the volitional and activity-related traits of the students themselves, including insufficient initiative and activity among certain student groups, occasional lack of cohesion within the student body, and an inability to effectively plan and allocate their own time. Nonetheless, the findings affirm that the university has cultivated a fairly advanced organizational culture within both the teaching and student communities. This culture enables the institution to enhance its image as a leading higher education establishment in the Kursk region, effectively realizing all three of the university’s missions.

BROADENING HORIZONS: UNIVERSITY INVOLVEMENT IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

As mentioned earlier, the university places significant emphasis on strategic development. In addition to formulating its own strategy, the staff and faculty of Kursk State University, along with other higher education institutions in the region, have greatly contributed to the formulation of some crucial regional progress strategies. This primarily concerns the Strategy of Education Development in Kursk Region up to 2030,[129] as well as a foundational endeavor — the Socio-Economic Development Strategy of Kursk Region until 2030.[130]

For instance, in 2019, project workshops were established at Kursk State University within the context of preparing the development strategy for the Land of Nightingales. These workshops invited experts, public figures, businesspeople, and representatives from various management tiers — spanning the regional level, municipal bodies, enterprises, and regional organizations. The workshop participants spent several months discussing the draft strategy. Their contributions led to numerous specific proposals aimed at transformative changes in the region’s priority development areas. These areas encompass a diversified and multi-faceted economy, development management, healthcare, social spheres, human capital (including education, science, and innovation), infrastructure and spatial advancement, comfortable urban environments, and fostering a green and secure region. This process shaped the final version of the document, incorporating adjustments. The collective brainstorming underscored the notion that diverse societal groups can actively engage in shaping the regional political agenda focused on identifying strategic and tactical developmental tasks for the territorial community, and their collaborative efforts can indeed benefit the region. In late 2020, the Administration of Kursk Region approved the strategy, greenlighting its implementation.

The regional development strategy gives a significant emphasis to professional education, namely the issues of modernizing the network of educational institutions, aligning them with regional labor market demands, ensuring high quality training outcomes and graduate employability, executing the “Personnel of the Future for the Regions” strategic initiative, nurturing public and professional experts, and a spectrum of other endeavors. These matters are also mirrored in the strategic development program of Kursk State University, highlighting the alignment and mutual reinforcement between the two documents.

Furthermore, it is noteworthy that the university has established and continues to operate a research laboratory for implementing the Kursk Region’s strategy. This laboratory not only involves students, postgraduates, and young researchers from the university in research activities but also conducts expert evaluations and analytical studies related to regional strategizing. It engages in modeling the primary directions of the region’s development, explores the viability of applying the latest achievements in strategic management and development to the regional context.

It is safe to say that the formulation of the university’s unique development strategy, along with its active participation in the preparation and consistent execution of regional development strategies, attests to the university’s successful transformation from a conventional academic institution to a focal point for innovation and cultural advancement within Kursk Region.

Исследования / Research Studies

Если миссия выполнима, то как? Шесть моделей развития социальных инноваций в университетах

Наталья Гладких

DOI 10.55140/2782–5817–2023–3–3–67–83

Социальные инновации — один из элементов реализации «третьей миссии». Университеты во всем мире ищут свои пути к внедрению инноваций в пространство всех трех миссий, стараясь обеспечить их гармоничное звучание. Какие модели развития социальных инноваций в университетах можно обнаружить уже сейчас и по каким основаниям они могут быть выделены — пойдет речь в данной статье, представляющей авторскую классификацию моделей, построенную на обобщении существующего опыта.

Наталья Гладких

К. психол. н., ведущий эксперт Института социально-экономического проектирования НИУ ВШЭ

ВВЕДЕНИЕ

Развитие социальных инноваций является