UNIVERSITY ECOSYSTEM AS AN INDICATOR OF PRODUCTIVE COOPERATION OF YOUTH AND BUSINESS IN SUSTAINABLE REGIONS
A.D. Melnik, A.E. Sudakova
Ural Federal University named after the First President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin, Yekaterinburg, Russia
Keywords: higher education, proactive education, cooperation between enterprises and universities, regional labour market, human capital, youth sustainability in employment, engagement, sustainability of region, changing technologies, technological leadership
Abstract
Developed university ecosystems are based on the concept of productive cooperation within the “university-student-regional economy” triad aimed at the sustainability of regions in their innovative development by increasing the engagement of young in work. To describe a key mechanism for interaction between youth and business, the concept of productive collaboration is being introduced, where the systemic integration of education, science, and innovation creates human capital supporting high rates of change in technology. This approach overcomes the limitations of analyzing isolated subjects by assessing the synergistic effect of their cooperation at the regional level. The purpose of the article is to reveal the concept of “university ecosystems” and analyze the quality of university ecosystems for the sustainability of regions. Data synergy for typology of regions was ensured from four federal sources for 88 Russian regions: monitoring the effectiveness of Russian universities 2021-2023, the best startups 2022-2024, the list of student design bureaus 2025, and Rosstat statistics 2023. Using comparative analysis and graphical visualization methods, the regions are compared along two key axes: the depth of integration with the labor market (practice base) and the intensity of innovation activity (volume of extra-budgetary R&D). A typology of sustainability of regions is proposed based on the analysis of the university ecosystems quality: sustainable, flagship, unstable. It was revealed that 21 Russian regions are sustainable in terms of the competitiveness of the university ecosystems, ensuring the formation and development of two types of specialists in demand by employers: those capable of applying innovations and participating in their creation. It has found that sustainable regions significantly outperform other groups in key indicators of innovative and socio-economic development. The research results provide a basis for making informed management decisions. The proposed typology allows government agencies and stakeholders to develop targeted programs: from basic support for the integration of universities and businesses in fragile regions to stimulating breakthrough innovation in stable regions optimizing resource allocation.
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