Modern Engineering Education as a Key Element of Russian Technological Modernization in the Context of Digital Economy

Abstract

The article deals with the problem of modernization of modern engineering educational system in Russia with regards to the transition to digital economy. Nowadays science and innovative technology play a principal role in the social and economic development of the society. The article explains new requirements to the education of future highly qualified engineers in compliance with the requirements of the civil society and the needs of national economy. The transition to digital economy implies a completely new way for economic growth, a transition to a new techno-economic paradigm, aimed at the modernization and diversification of the economy with further development of processing and high-tech industries.Given circumstances require the institutions to introduce new methodological approaches and innovations which would reflect the modern pillars behind the creation of knowledge-intensive educational programmes for engineering. One of the key focus points is the variability of modern education that allows for its adaptation to completely new circumstances -namely, changed academic and economic autonomy of regional educational institutions. The article considers the question of providing highly qualified specialists in the sphere of knowledge-intensive tech and industry from Kurgan State University (KSU), which has been preparing specialists for the social and economic complex of the region for years. As part of the implementation of "Digital economy in Russia programme", the article overlooks priority development trajectories in KSU for the coming years in the sphere of automatization of technological processes and industries, as well as the development of IT that shall foster growth in number of available communication mechanisms for educational institutions, businesses and local government. Developing higher education cannot be imagined without joint scientifically oriented clusters with participation of regional business that shall stimulate R&D and, consequently, foment the formation of professional competences of future graduates.

Problems and Prospects of Modernization of Higher Education Based on the Implementation of Professional Standards in the Field of Information Technology

“…The Higher School faces new challenges, since in addition to general and special knowledge, employers today expect certain professional skills from young specialists [1]. The existing need for technical personnel, as well as the problem of personnel shortages at enterprises, determines the need for changes in the polytechnical education system in order to train highly qualified specialists in information and technical fields for various industries [2].…”

The system of continuous education as a decisive factor of personnel training for the digital economy

“…Expansion of opportunities of information space and growth of IT-literacy determines the possibilities of creation of local educational systems of continuous education on the basis of leading regional universities to meet the needs of the region's enterprises with the personnel meeting the modern requirements of the digital economy [13][14]. The educational structure of professional education, located in the region and working closely with employers, is able to respond to changes in the needs of the regional labor market and modify its educational and career guidance resources [15][16].…”

Transformation of the education system in a digital economics

“…The emergence of fundamentally new corporate strategies has a significant impact on the global educational environment, so in the context of the basic directions of development of the digital economy it is necessary to focus on training, education, information infrastructure [6][7][8][9][10]. In the context of the ongoing changes in the economy and society, the tasks, quality criteria of the Russian system of higher and secondary vocational education in the context of the unlimited possibilities of the digital economy are changing dramatically over time [11][12][13][14].…”