Highly Qualified Scientific Personnel in Economic Sciences: Sectoral Distribution

Introduction. Highly qualified scientific personnel are a prerequisite for economic competitiveness and a crucial factor in maintaining the economic security of our country, as well as in developing the socio-cultural and other spheres of activity. Current research does not encompass all segments of the scientific personnel reproduction process: assessment of scientific qualifications, the employment structure of those holding academic degrees, and the analysis of defended dissertations within specific scientific fields – such as economics. The aim of this research is to analyze the state and patterns of reproduction of highly qualified personnel in the field of economics, using quantitative indicators of personnel training and scientific certification/assessment. Materials and Methods. The research object includes highly qualified scientific personnel and dissertation boards in economics. The methods used include statistical data analysis – specifically, mean comparison, clustering, and factor analysis – as well as expert assessments. The number of candidates (PhD holders) and doctors of sciences (Higher Doctorate holders) was calculated using an analytical approach involving the aggregation of quantitative data on dissertation presentations, categorized by age. Results. As of 2024, there were 132 dissertation boards functioning in economics, established by orders of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia, and 135 boards established by organizations within the framework of independent awarding of academic degrees, in which a total of 92 doctoral (Higher Doctorate) and 494 candidate (PhD) dissertation presentations were held; the largest number of these were in the Central and Northwestern Federal Districts. Based on the developed methodology, which relies on indicators of the age structure of applicants for academic degrees, the number of candidates (PhD holders) and doctors of sciences (Higher Doctorate holders) in economics and their structure by age categories were calculated. It is noted that the largest number of those who have defended their dissertations work in the field of education and also in business. The calculation allowed for an assessment of the number of young scientists – candidates (PhD holders) of economic sciences and doctors (Higher Doctorate) of economic sciences. Discussion and Conclusion. The analysis into the state of learning of highly qualified personnel in economics allows, based on the established quantitative indicators, to forecast their demand in various economic sectors. In conditions of an acute shortage of scientific personnel necessary for innovative scientific and technological solutions and approaches that meet the task of building a knowledge economy the obtained results can be used to determine projected personnel training needs, harmonize the training system and the scientific certification/assessment system, develop the network of dissertation boards, define new approaches to postgraduate admissions and improve the efficiency of postgraduate graduation with dissertation presentation, as well as to improve the management of the complex of processes related to the organization of scientific research in economic disciplines.