Universal higher education and its socio economic impact



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2012/SOM1/HRDWG/030rev1

Agenda Item: Special Session 3.1

Universal Higher Education and Its Socio Economic Impact

Purpose: Consideration

Submitted by: Russia

|[pic] |34th Human Resources Development Working Group Meeting |

| |Moscow, Russia |

| |5-10 February 2012 |

I.Froumin. Russia

Universal Higher Education and Its Socio Economic Impact

(case of middle-income economy)

Over the past fifteen years Russia has been moving toward a policy of universal higher education. This process is accompanied by the explicit tendencies such as increasing number of higher education institutions and enrollment rates, which doubled since the ‘90s. The shift to the universal higher education is going to be a steady trend for the next decade and may change the meaning of tertiary education and its curriculum. Expansion of higher education in Russia is inspired by the idea of equality and opportunity, social equilibrium and promoted on the following grounds: demographic necessity, economic considerations and labour market demands for more innovative manpower with special competences and capacities for lifelong education. In the context of expanding and internationalization of education, Russian higher education faces the challenges of adaptation to financial, social and institutional constraints. The issues of special interest are cost and benefits of mass higher education system and challenges it has to meet.

On the one hand the growth of accessibility of higher education has triggered the process of universities transformation and fostered the emergence of new specialties and higher education institutions, which are generally more flexible in responding to external environment demands. Moreover mass higher education is expected to become a sufficient basis for social mobility, upsurge in economic activity, innovative development and economic growth. On the other hand, if looked at from another perspective, mass higher education may lead to different unintended consequences. There is currently a growing concern for the problem of quality. Radically increased enrollments, “institutional trap”[1] in the higher education system and diploma-hunting has become one of major concerns at a moment. According to expert estimates in 10-20 years the labour market will experience imbalances in a workforce, caused by the prevalence of workers with higher education.

The growing expansion of higher education in APEC economies requires deep analysis and monitoring.

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[1] Mass higher education in non-market segment may have spillover effects on higher education institutions and on labour market. Teachers reduce their demands on students and universities give diplomas to students who pay legally or illegally for their education, have little interest in learning and therefore lack skills required for good jobs. Another consequence is that diplomas become irrelevant to job outcomes.

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