Higher education in single-industry towns: models, practices, challenges

This research aims at depicting the main models and the key features of higher education organization in industrial tows, i. e. on the territories, where economic and social development is historically tiedto a large enterprise. The Sverdlovsk region was chosen for the research, and data was mainly collected during a research expedition of NRU HSE. Case analysis was selected as the main research strategy, while methodological approach is based mostly on biographic and expert interviews and statistical analysis of region-related data. A transformed «triangle of coordination» of В. R. Clark was used as a conceptual framework: the actor of government was replaced with city-level governmental administration. The research results include (1) identification and classification of higher education forms in industrial towns (branches, enterprise-founded private engineering university and programs of studies, implemented directly on the territory of the customer); (2) description of the five main research cases, each of them corresponding to one of the industrial towns of the region; (3) classification of the cases according to the «triangle of coordination». Besides, the article includes a description of main interaction practices between the universities and local enterprises: special grants, joint career guidance for school students, joint guidance of course papers and thesis, etc.). We also identify the main problems and challenges for universities in industrial towns. Data collected during the interviews is reaffirmed by statistical data analysis of related indicators - on relatively low research activity of universities, high rates of extra budgetary funds in income structures of universities in industrial tows and high level of the average score of state entrance exam, among enrollees who left the Sverdlovsk region. Finally, we provide five finalizing points, highlighting (1) the importance of social role of higher education in industrial towns as well as (2) the necessity of forming indicators of universities' performance that would take into account the unique practices of interaction between universities and enterprises, city and local community. The key challenges for higher education in single-industry towns are presented as well.