Leadership of Russian universities in ensuring the educational sovereignty of the country

Konstantin V. Vodenko, Dr. Sc. (Philosophy), Professor, Head of the Academy of Social Research and Human Development, Platov South Russian State Polytechnic University (NPI), Novocherkassk city, Russia; https: //orcid.org/0000-0002-5283-0466, AuthorID RSCI: 289484, WoS ResearcherID: L-4112-2016, AuthorID Scopus: 56669747300, e-mail: vodenkok@mail.ru

Introduction. The article analyzes the role of Russian universities in ensuring the educational sovereignty of the country. The national education system is one of the effective instruments ensuring the cultural, economic and technological sovereignty of the state. Currently, the leadership of universities goes beyond the purely academic environment, as it is aimed not only at the cultural, socio-economic and technological development of the country, but also at ensuring the national security of the state as a whole.

Materials and methods. The research is based on an institutional approach that allows analyzing education as a social institution of society; a risk-based approach that allows understanding the main threats to state security associated with the aggravation of the geopolitical confrontation between Russia and the collective West. The article uses a comprehensive approach to understanding Russia’s national security system, as well as a level-based approach that opens up the opportunity to explore the leadership of universities at the regional, national and global levels. 

Results. The leadership of universities should be implemented at three levels: regional, national and global. The regional level covers the training of professional personnel to ensure the functioning of the local economy, as well as the preservation and reproduction of the cultural characteristics of the region. The university's leadership at the state level is aimed at developing human capital and developing technological innovations as the basis for the country's sustainable development. At the global level, the university’s academic leadership is realized in the development of international cooperation in the field of education and science. In the context of the new challenges facing Russia, the activities of universities should be comprehensive, focused on ensuring the security of the country as a whole.

Discussion. The study of the potential of Russian universities in ensuring the educational sovereignty of the country is extremely important. The possibilities of the higher education system are quite multifaceted and manifest themselves in the following: a) in preserving the civilizational identity of Russia and broadcasting traditional spiritual and moral values in society; b) in training specialists for various sectors of the national economy; c) in developing international cooperation. The results of the study can become the basis for the development of a set of measures to ensure the educational sovereignty of the Russian Federation.

Keywords: university leadership, higher education system, educational sovereignty, national security, human capital, soft power tool

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