Neighborhood Effect in Higher Education: Polarization Effect of the Kazan Federal University in the Volga Federal District

The dissertation research is devoted to the assessment of the polarization effect of the Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University for applicants of the Volga Federal District. The author explores the university as an attractor of youth in the educational space from the standpoint of quantitative and qualitative characteristics. A distinctive feature of this master's thesis is the use of a gravity model for analyzing the effectiveness of the university's admission campaign, which is widely used in geography, economics, demography, market analysis and other branches of knowledge. The purpose of this work is to assess the spatial impact of KFU on applicants of the Volga Federal District and to develop recommendations for improving the effectiveness of the university's acceptance campaign, taking into account its positioning and projected demographic situation. At the stage of the pre-project study, was analyzed the current geography of admission of Kazan Federal University as a whole and of each structural unit. The author realized the analysis in the context of structural units, and not by enlarged groups of specialties, as this allows us to estimate the gravitational force of specific organizational structures. The challenges, internal limitations and advantages that are important from the point of view of the further positioning and development of Kazan Federal University in the Volga Federal District are revealed. In accordance with this, the university’s mission and its strategic vision were verified, the target model and key changes in the strategic horizon of 2021 in the activities of the university in organizing the admission campaign were determined. The work has a pronounced applied character. The main provisions of the proposed strategy for the implementation of the university's admission campaign are currently being implemented at the level of the admissions committee of the Kazan Federal University.