Can Digital Transformation Solve the Problem of Arctic Youth Migration Outflow?

Abstract

Youth educational migration is an urgent problem for most Arctic cities. In particular, this problem is extremely important for Russia in the context of changing the paradigm of the planned development of the Arctic oil and gas economy into indefinite long-term prospects and scenarios of Arctic development. This situation led to reducing social-economic northern benefits and compensations and strengthens the trends of Arctic youth educational migration. However, the experience of digital transformation and forced distance learning due to the pandemic of 2020 could bring young people a new understanding of the opportunities of digitalization, influencing their migration decisions. To clarify the potential of digital technologies in solving the problem of youth migration outflow in the Russian Arctic, we surveyed the students at technical schools and colleges of the Yamal-Nenets autonomous area, Russia; sample size 1532 students in total. The analysis of the survey’s results proved the intention of most respondents to move to larger cities in non-Arctic territories. Together with that, we revealed a high potential of digital technologies in addressing the problem of youth migration which was previously considered unsolvable. In particular, the accessibility of quality distance education can sufficiently increase the attractiveness of Arctic territories for youth life, study, and development. Basing on the research results, we suppose that Arctic youth migration outflow can be sufficiently decreased if the measures proposed in the research are implemented with the help of digitalization.

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