Innovative Management in Higher Education in Russia: Global Demands versus Local Experiences

Abstract

The paper explores new management policies in the context of fundamental reforms in higher education in Russia. The dramatic changes in the education system during the last two decades were conditioned both by the shift on the global educational landscape and by the radical transformation of economy, politics and social environment inside the country. The desire to approach the international standards in higher professional education in the time of the rapid globalization forced the government to follow new strategies in reforming universities structure, management and programs which were adopted from the West. However, not all innovations were positively received by academic circles, potential employer organizations and by students themselves. The paper highlights such contradictory issues and argues that all innovations in higher education management should be adjusted to the national interests, traditions and mentality. The arguments are illustrated by the examples of the universities which could implement the reforms considering local context and thus achieved efficiency even in a short timeframe. These examples mainly deal with education in economic sciences regarding the interest to the problem by the International School – VNU. The materials and conclusions of the paper could be useful for Vietnamese managers in education since the Vietnamese system of higher education which was based on the Soviet model is undergoing the similar transformation from the governing solely by the state to the diversity of the innovative modes of management.

Keywords: Innovative management, education reforms, globalization, local context.