Nowadays universities are one of the main engines of the country’s development. They show the level of the country competitiveness in the global arena and promote the development of science and technology. Qualitative changes in the field of higher education are related to globalization of the world economy and changes of the universities’ role in the modern world. These changes require a completely different level of competitiveness on the global education market.
It can be concluded that this topic is relevant for research in relation to our university. Basing on the identified problems of university globalization I set the main goal of my research as making suggestions on the increase in the global competitiveness level of Tyumen State University by studying international education standards and conducting sociological survey.
In my understanding, the University of Global Competitiveness is an educational institution that occupies a strong position in the international market of educational services due to the effective implementation of intellectual potential, financial investments and a high level and quality of education. According to the definition of “leading university”, I selected the following criteria and factors: talented researchers (both teachers and students), investment, developed university infrastructure, effective management of the university system, high-quality and innovative educational process and a positive image in the international community and among foreign investors.
All of the above criteria indicate the level of the university and its leading position in the international rankings of universities. I have chosen TOP 3 universities in the world in accordance with ARWU ranking “Top 500 best universities”.
Harvard University occupies the first position in this list with 150 Nobel Prize winners and nearly four thousand foreign students (19,8%). It has one of the strongest lecturers in the country and international connections with prestigeous universities around the world. There exist exchange and internship programs with leading universities in Europe and the USA.
The next position is taken by Stanford University, which has 53 Nobel Prize winners. Besides, Stanford specializes in the training of the most highly qualified students and it has achieved outstanding results in science, business and sport. This university is one of the largest international educational centers. Among the students are immigrants from Asia - 55%, Latin America – 21%, Europe – 12%.
And the last in this list is University of Cambridge, which is located in Britain and has 83 Nobel Prize winners and 11% of foreigners. The ratio of students and teachers is 7:1, i.e. the teachers have the opportunity to give a student a lot of attention.
Most of the world famous universities are located in Britain and the USA. Therefore, there are special programs that are aimed at supporting national universities and investing in their development. An example is the government program "5-100", which Tyumen State University joined in 2015 in order to improve the international competitiveness of Russian education. It is the state program of supporting the largest Russian universities, which is aimed at maximizing the competitive position in the global market of educational services and research programs, which means that at least 5 Russian universities must enter into a hundred leading universities according to QS World University Rankings by 2020.
I have identified significant benefits for the three categories of programme participants: university, students and teachers. For the University the program provides the development of its research complex, improves the quality of education and expands the scope of the specialities taught, develops parthnerships with large international employers and provides a large amount of investment in educational activities. For students the program increases the value of the degree to the employer, offers great opportunities for taking foreign internship and increases the quality of educational services. Finaly, teachers can get an excelent opportunities for professional growth and self-realization open to initiative, creative and open-minded staff.
In order to find out the attitude of students to the programm and identify the significant deficiencies, which are not specified in the program, I conducted a survey of 50 people. There were questions connected with understanding the concept of globalization in education. These are some of them:
1. What universities of global competitiveness do you know?
Most frequent answers: Harvard University, Cambridge University, Oxford University, Stanford University, Moscow State University.
The obtained data demonstrate that the worldwide fame and prestige of the university plays a major role in determining its level of competitiveness.
2. How do you assess the TSU chances of getting into top university list?
On average only 3 out of 6 possible points were selected. It shows that students have doubts about the further successful improvement of university to the world standards. (Picture 1)
Picture 1. TSU chances of getting into TOP worldwide universities
3. What are the TSU weaknesses, which hinder to compete with the best universities in the world?
Most frequent answers: low quality of education, reputation of the university, development of scientific activities, lack of willingness to use innovative methods in education, insufficient investment in research, low staff salaries, poor promotion of the best students, ineffective educational programmes, lack of practical application of skills.
4. What benefits of the programme are the most significant to you? (in descending order)
a) improving the quality of education;
b) developing partnerships with major international employers;
c) self-realization and professional growth;
d) increasing the value of the degree for the employer.
5. What are the negative aspects of the project “5-100” for TSU?
a) increasing the number of paid services and the cost of tuition fee;
b) cancellation of score-rating system;
c) the main goal is prestige in the world rather than the quality of education;
d) a series of unnecessary changes in the educational process.
After analyzing the information about universities of global competitiveness, the criteria for their evaluation, the program “5-100” and surveying students I can sum up some results of the completed work and make my own suggestions on the University policy:
1. Focus on the creation of the name and face of the university:
increase the number of partners, join the national and international educational associations, promote university and develop an effective marketing strategy.
2. Develop and invest in scientific sphere:
involve students into research activities, improve the material and technical base, and provide a reward for active scientific activity for students and teachers.
3. Review the educational programmes, focusing on the Russian demand rather than international standards.
4. Improve programs of teachers’ professional development.
5. Introduce special courses for students aimed at developing practical skills and personal characteristics.
In conclusion, I can say that our university can get into the list of the best universities in the world only if the entire activity is directed not only at the ratings, but also the students. We need to review the strategy of university development for the next 5 years, because at the early stages, students and teachers have already noticed the negative moments of the program. On the other hand, in spite of a number of challenges, which we have to face, I strongly believe that the TSU will be able to increase its level of competitiveness on the national and global arena.
[1]Перечень терминов и определений, используемых в правилах (стандартах) аудиторской деятельности (одобрен Комиссией по аудиторской деятельности при Президенте РФ 25 декабря 1996 года).