Integration of business into university educational ecosystems

The emergence of the platform economy and the development of digital infrastructure in the XXI century has led to significant changes in higher education. Professional knowledge can now be acquired not only through classical universities but also through alternative channels, such as online courses and other educational platforms. This article explores the experience of Russian universities in adapting to these new realities and analyzes their efforts to develop educational ecosystems. It also examines three promising directions for this development: continuing education, university-business cooperation, and the creation of marketplaces for education. The paper uses methods of informal document analysis, as well as analysis of website traffic and their link profiles. The analysis shows that partnership-building and business integration into the educational system are crucial for the success of modern universities. Partnership with market-leading companies has a positive effect on the image of Russian universities. The analysis also showed that well-known technology companies can offer the most promising models of open educational marketplaces capable of effectively representing the services of all universities. Also, we have identified potential prospects and challenges for universities in the evolving educational environment.

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