Analysis of the “Third mission of universities” in the aspect of educational risks of digital divide

The article analyses the “Third mission of universities”, which is understood as a set of socially significant functions aimed at the individual and society development in a local (regional) focus. The relevance of the study is caused by the digital divide – a social phenomenon that manifests itself in the uneven development and digital technologies use by the population, depending on territorial and socio-demographic characteristics. Digital divide in the context of Russian reality is viewed as one of the types of educational risk, especially in relation to socially vulnerable population segments. It has been noted that universities can become “conductors” of digital transformations, they can contribute to the inclusion of people from “risk groups” into the digital society. The results of the study using the method of qualitative and quantitative documents analysis – Internet sites of Russian universities, their legal and regulatory documentation addressing the “third mission” have allowed us to conclude that Russian universities are focused on online education, massive open educational courses and training in digital professions. This circumstance is confirmed by the ratings analysis “Three University Missions” (MosIUR) in 2020–2021. Educational programs aimed at mastering digital professions for socially vulnerable population groups are becoming widespread – they cover people of retirement and pre-retirement age, the unemployed, mothers with “small” children. Such programs provide for a budgetary financing system and co-financing. However, the regional factor that affects the digitalisation level of the population, as well as its material well-being, is not taken into account. Hence, it has been concluded that it is necessary to expand the citizens list eligible for preferential training in digital professions. They should include poor people, small settlements residents in the periphery, crisis regions.

1. Alexandrova T.V. (2019), “Digital divide regions of Russia: causes, score, ways of overcoming”, Economics and business: theory and practice, no. 8, pp. 9–12. (In Russian). https://doi.org/10.24411/2411-0450-2019-11101

2. Bannykh G.A. (2020), “Regional digital capital as a condition for its competitiveness in the modern economy”, Proceedings of the XIV International Conference “Russian Regions in the Focus of Change”, Yekaterinburg, November 14–16, 2019, UMC UPI, Yekaterinburg, Russia, pp. 674–676. (In Russian).

3. Castells M. (2000), The information age: Economy, society and culture, trans. from Eng., ed. by prof. O.I. Shkaratan, HSE, Moscow, Russia. (In Russian).

4. David S.A. (2018), “The relationship between the third mission and university ranking: exploring the outreach of the top ranked universities in BRICS countries”, Web site of The Third University Mission International Conference. Available at: https://mosiur.org/files/conference_proceedings_2018/Third_mission_and_university_ranking_Solomon_A._David.pdf (accessed 23.11.2022).

5. Groshev I.V. and Krasnoslobodtsev A.A. (2020), “Digitalization and creativity of Russian regions”, Sociologicheskie issledovaniya, no. 5, pp. 66–78. (In Russian).

6. Marhl M. and Pausits A. (2011), “Third mission indicators for new ranking methodologies”, Evaluation in Higher Education, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 43–64. https://doi.org/10.6197/EHE.2011.0501.03

7. Mau V.A. [ed.]. (2020), Society and pandemic: Experience and lessons from COVID-19 fighting in Russia, IPK Pareto-Print LLC, Moscow, Russia. (In Russian).

8. Meshcheryakova N.N. and Rogotneva E.N. (2021), “Digitalization: new risks for people with disabilities. Problem statement”, Digital Sociology, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 44–52. (In Russian). https://doi.org/10.26425/2658-347X-2021-4-3-44-52

9. Shcheglov P. and Nikitina N. (2003), “The quality of higher education. Risks in the training of specialists”, University management: practice and analysis, no. 1 (24), pp. 46–59. (In Russian).

10. Strekalova N.B. (2019), “Risks of digital technologies implementation into education”, Vestnik of Samara University. History, Pedagogics, philology, vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 84–88. (In Russian). https://doi.org/10.18287/2542-0445-2019-25-2-84-88

11. Parker.T.D. (2018), “What kind of Universities does society need?”, Website of the The Third University Mission International Conference. Available at: https://mosiur.org/files/conference_proceedings_2018/What_Kind_of_Universities_Does_Society_Need_Thomas_D._Parker.pdf (accessed 23.11.2022).

12. Vasilenko L.A. (2018), “Public value management and the digital state – significant trends in the development of public administrationˮ, Proceedings of the International Conference Session: Public administration and development of Russia: challenges and opportunities, vol. 1, ed. G.Yu. Ivleva, Scientific Library, Moscow, Russia, pp. 149–155. (In Russian).

13. Vasilenko L.A. and Zotov V.V. (2020), “Digitalization of public administration in Russia: risks, casuses, problems”, Digital Sociology, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 4–16. (In Russian). https://doi.org/10.26425/2658-347X-2020-2-4-16

14. Vasilenko L.A. and Meshcheryakova N.N. (2021), Sociology of the digital society: monograph, Tomsk Polytechnic University Publ. House, Tomsk, Russia. (In Russian).

15. Voevodina E.V. (2019), “Formation of Russian magistracy: implementation of the digital economy requests in the educational process”, Digital Sociology, vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 16–24. (In Russian). https://doi.org/10.26425/2658-347X-2019-3-16-24

16. Zomer A. and Benneworth P. (2011), The rise of the University’s Third Mission, Reform of Higher Education in Europe, Sense Publishers, Rotter-dam, Netherlands, pp. 81–101. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6091-555-0_6