Competitiveness of the university as a hybrid structure in the regional educational space

Introduction. Managing the competitiveness of higher education organizations has been considered as a means of improving the quality of education and a tool for developing the innovative component of the domestic economy. The purpose of this paper, based on the materials of the conducted study, is to identify the factors determining the competitive position of the regional university and the opportunities to increase its competitiveness. Materials and Methods. The study employed the methods of logical, systemic, economic and statistical analysis, as well as the methods of sociological survey, expert assessments, structural analysis and design. The research methodology included comparison using the available data as well as graphical data visualization displaying the most common trends and showing the patterns of competitiveness of regional universities. Results. The regional university has been considered as a hybrid structure including horizontal and vertical connections of independent elements and interdependent ones. The phenomena of interaction, partnership and continuity of the organization of the regional education system have been analyzed. The effectiveness of the partnership between universities and secondary schools within the framework of hybrid educational systems formed by universities has been substantiated. Based on the empirical study, two functional models of the regional university have been developed which include its significant relationships in the regional educational space. Discussion and Conclusion. The study has confirmed the hypothesis of the importance of integrating the university into the regional educational space. The development of the university as a hybrid educational structure, its partnership with other educational organizations strengthens its competitive position. The functional models of the regional university as a hybrid structure and the methods for assessing its competitiveness, proposed by the author, may be useful for heads of educational organizations and regional authorities.