Education System Reforms Led to Better University Performance, HSE Researchers Find
A study by researchers at the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences and the Institute of Education have found that the number of academic papers published by research universities in international journals has tripled in the past eight years. Additionally, universities have developed more distinct specialisations. Thus, sectoral universities specialising in medical, pedagogical, technical, and other fields are twice as likely to admit students to target places. The study has been published in Vocation, Technology & Education.
Anna Panova, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Economic Sciences, and Victoria Slepyh from the Laboratory for University Development at the HSE Institute of Education analysed data from 485 state universities in Russia for the period between 2015 and 2023 to assess the effectiveness of the country's education system reforms. Using data from the annual monitoring of educational institutions' effectiveness conducted by the Ministry of Education and Science, along with applicants' USE scores reflecting enrolment quality and data on graduates' employment and salaries, the authors analysed the dynamics of the higher education system's performance and compared results across universities.
The findings suggest that education system reforms have significantly improved university performance and reinforced their specialisations. Research universities have achieved remarkable success. This group includes 35 universities, comprising both officially designated research universities, such as HSE University, MIPT, MEPhI, and others, and those with a special status, such as Moscow State University and St Petersburg State University. Their international publication activity has nearly tripled since 2015, reaching 95 papers per 100 faculty members in Scopus-indexed journals. Research universities attract the most qualified applicants, whose USE scores are on average 5-6 points higher than those of applicants to universities in other groups. Also, research universities are more likely than other types to attract extra resources, with their non-budgetary funds more than doubling.
'One of the key reasons for this is the Matthew effect, a mechanism through which more successful universities accumulate even greater success over time, reinforcing their leadership. Research universities offer several advantages that make them appealing to top applicants and ensure their graduates' competitiveness. These universities have effectively developed a research infrastructure and attracted talented researchers. This motivates the enrolment of top applicants, who go on to achieve career success, enhancing the university's reputation and, in turn, allowing it to attract more talented applicants. In other words, the success of research universities across various fields is a self-sustaining process,' explains Anna Panova.
Sectoral universities are the largest group of universities in the country, comprising 354 institutions, including medical, pedagogical, and technical universities, such as Pavlov University in St Petersburg, Moscow Pedagogical State University, and Moscow Aviation Institute, among others. Sectoral universities publish only 14 papers in international journals per 100 faculty members, nearly seven times fewer than research universities. Instead, sectoral universities focus on publishing in Russian journals, with 287 publications per 100 faculty members, reflecting the limited resources available for international activity. These universities rank second in terms of enrolment quality, with an average USE score of 70 for their applicants.
However, sectoral universities lead in training workforce for the industry, with about 10% of their students enrolled in targeted placements—nearly twice as many as in other types of universities. In certain sectors, such as medicine, targeted enrolment covers up to 28% of students. While graduates of sectoral universities find it easier to become employed after graduation, graduates of research universities earn the highest salaries compared to other categories.
Federal and flagship universities, such as Ural Federal University, Far Eastern Federal University, Voronezh State Technical University, and others, are making significant contributions to strengthening regional economies and advancing scientific development. Since 2015, their publication activity in international journals has nearly tripled, reaching up to 50 publications per 100 faculty members. In terms of enrolment quality, federal and flagship universities are only slightly behind sectoral universities. About 5% of applicants are admitted to targeted placements, and universities in this category have, on average, the highest number of specialist training contracts with organisations.
The authors note that in recent years, the effectiveness of the education system has significantly improved, and the reforms have yielded positive results. The ongoing transformation aims to better align the system with market demands.
'Universities are actively competing with institutions offering continuing and vocational education and have been developing their own programmes in these areas. For example, they offer online courses and flexible educational programmes, enabling them to compete with other education providers. The availability of continuing education programmes helps graduates regularly update their skills and adapt to changes in the labour market. It can be assumed that the Matthew effect also plays a role in this process, as universities offering vocational training programmes gain competitive advantages by attracting applicants who might otherwise opt for other forms of education. This strengthens the position of universities in the workforce training system and expands their influence on the educational market' explain the authors.
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