Transformation of education: from the ussr to the digital age

The digital revolution has radically changed the requirements for engineering education. In the context of rapid technological development, it is necessary to rethink traditional approaches to training engineering personnel. The purpose of the study is to analyze the evolution of engineering education from the Soviet model to modern digital realities, identify key stages of transformation and determine development prospects in the digital era. The hypothesis of the study is that the evolution of engineering education from the Soviet model to modern digital realities occurs through successive stages of transformation, each of which introduces significant changes to the system of training engineering personnel, while maintaining the fundamental foundations of engineering education. The research methodology is based on a historical and comparative analysis of the development of engineering education, content analysis of regulatory documents, systematization of empirical data, logical analysis of theoretical concepts, and the method of reflexive analysis. The theoretical results of the study allowed us to establish that engineering education has gone through four key stages of development: the Soviet model laid the fundamental foundations of engineering education; the post-Soviet period (1991‒2003) was characterized by the search for new approaches to the development of engineering education while maintaining the basic principles of the Soviet system; the Bologna stage (2003‒2024) was marked by the transition to a two-tier education system and the introduction of a competency-based approach; digital transformation (since 2023) involves: the transition to basic higher education (4‒6 years), the introduction of new fourth-generation Federal State Educational Standards, the creation of a unified educational base, the development of a digital educational environment, and integration with the real sector of the economy. Successful transformation of engineering education requires a comprehensive approach that combines the preservation of fundamental training with the introduction of modern teaching technologies. This will create an effective system for training engineering personnel who are able to successfully work in the digital economy and ensure the technological progress of the country.