The future of universities: Is digitalization the priority? (Expert view)

Abstract

The ongoing digital revolution is changing the economic and social environment where universities exist as well as universities themselves. The aim of the research presented is to throw light upon some aspects of “digitization” of universities using expert knowledge. A large-scale survey of experts (1481 experts from 65 Russian universities) was applied as a method of research. The task of the survey is to identify what digitalization ranks among other large-scale changes and problems topical for the modern university; how “digital challenge” should influence the priorities of university development management; to what extent the real priorities of the management of Russian universities reflect the significance of the “digital challenge”. The survey shows that the expert community considers “the total digitalization” to be the leading trend that changes economy and society nowadays. The main challenge that higher education will face in the period until 2035 will be “digitalization”, which is the need for a large-scale use of digital technology in education and university management. At the same time, the experts believe that “critical situations” for higher education in Russia in the future may arise as a result of the possible “degradation of secondary education” and the country’s development according to the “raw materials” scenario. Accelerated technological development of the economy and society based on digital technology will not be a trigger of critical situations for higher education in the future. In the system of development priorities, investment in digital infrastructure should rank high, and we can expect “rapid effects” of this investment. However, according to experts, “PR and promotion of the university” and “cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science and federal agencies” rank the first and the second respectively among the actual priorities for the development of universities; investment in digital infrastructure is in the third position. Thus certain “deformation” in the management of university development takes place, which means that the main trend of changes and the challenge for universities is “digitalization”, but in the management practice it ranks only third among the priorities. The actual priority of the following areas of investment is even lower: investment in motivation of teachers and students (“investment in dynamic”); international cooperation; cooperation with business; development of educational technology; attraction of “new students” and “new personnel”; exploratory research; support for scientific schools.