Integration processes in Russia's higher education system

The article deals with the results of research of the integration processes in regional systems of higher education (based on materials of Privolzhsky Federal District). It is shown that the integration processes take place in practically all components of regional educational systems. Integration affects all levels of education; subsystems of the core and further education (education for youth and adults); educational institutes; educational outcomes (for example, cross-qualifying integration of worker, technician, and engineer competencie); content of vocational education and forms of its presentation in the learning process; resources of the regional educational system. The paper analyzes the types and kinds of integration in education. It substantiates the causal links between the content and organisational integration, shows that for the last 10 years the institutional landscape of regional systems of higher education has been significantly updated. The following trends characteristic of the regional higher education networks have manifested themselves: appearance of the new types of educational organisations -National Research Universities and Federal Universities. In the system of pre-diploma vocational education the multilevel type of educational organisation aimed at preparation of middle-management professionals and skilled workers has appeared. The author describes the examples of the creation of vertically and horizontally integrated complexes of higher education in the Privolzhsky Federal District; presents economic and social effects of integrative processes in sphere of higher education. Among them are: improvement the economic efficiency of educational institutions due to "effect of scale", reduction of the share of administrative and teaching and support staff, rational use of material base of integrated in complex organizations ("the effect of consolidation of resources"); growth of capitalization of education by strengthening of the professional capacity of graduates and obtaining related occupations/specialties; development of horizontal and vertical mobility of students, including the empowerment of their transition from one educational level to another or changing of the educational trajectory within a single level of education.