Universities in the Conditions of Change: Request for Social Innovation

Abstract

A constantly growing demand for ensuring the competitiveness of countries in the international arena and improving the quality of higher education actualizes changes in universities. The author analyzes the scientific literature and strategic documents of universities, the leaders in the international ratings of Times Higher Education World University (THE) and QS World University Rankings (QS), as well as development strategies of the top Russian universities – participants of the 5-100 program. Based on the analysis, the author identifies ways to maintain the change of universities “from below” – the development of subjectivity, updating the socio and humanitarian agenda and design of collaborations. Besides, the author pays special attention to possible directions for the development of social innovations supporting university changes, such as institutional changes in interactions, associations of different university models and pedagogical bioethics.

Keywords

• university
• “innovation complexity”
• social network innovations
• commercialization of research results
• pedagogical bioethics
• big university project