Global trends in the reproduction of human capital in the tertiary education system

Abstract

This article assesses global trends in higher education. Two tasks are central to this effort: 1) research into higher as performing the macro-function of producing human capital; 2) a comparison of the organization and financing of higher education in different countries. Our hypothesis is as follows. Along with the influence of the mental development of the population and the level of productive forces, we believe that the main difference in the effectiveness of higher education systems is a consequence of the regulatory influences of governments. Study of the contradictions accumulated in the course of continuous reform allows us to propose measures to improve systemic interaction. The article compares the organization of higher education in the USA, Great Britain, Japan, and Russia at various stages, from admission to universities, to employment of graduates, and the corresponding organization and funding of the educational process. Research results are these. Comparing the indicators of applicant selection suggests replacing the Unified State Exam in Russia with an indicator of the weighted average score of electronic diaries. The study of the learning process showed a tendency to replace pure sciences in curricula with applied sciences. Variants of increasing the share of education in pure sciences are proposed to extend the life of basic competencies of graduates in conditions of local backwardness and uncertainty in the development of regional labor markets. For organization and financing of higher education, the analysis suggests an incompatibility between the Bologna system as introduced in Russia, and the preserved course system of education, with its fixed structure of curricula and expulsion for academic failure. The article shows ways to eliminate this incompatibility, such as the transition to a subjectstatus system of education and re-teaching in the subject. This will eliminate the current situation of fining universities for each expelled student. Conclusions are provided about the need for an integrated approach to subsequent transformations based on the study of global trends in the development of higher education and the preservation of the advantages of the development of Russian higher education.