The university transformation model has been tested

12:04, September 26, 2023

Daniil Sandler spoke about new priorities for digital changes at the university

Already this year, the Ural Federal University will be able to achieve the 2024 plans for the volume of research and development work (R&D) laid down in the Priority 2030 program - the university will cross the symbolic bar of 3 billion rubles for developments in the interests of enterprises, state corporations and organizations. According to Daniil Sandler, UrFU First Vice-Rector for Economics and Strategic Development, this became possible thanks to the university’s groundwork and competencies in the field of digital technologies and engineering.

According to the First Vice-Rector, the university organizational model of digital transformation as a whole has survived and remained relevant, as well as the one that plans changes in the educational process, since from the very beginning it was built on the involvement of the competencies of high-tech and IT companies in students’ studies. Four key drivers of institutional change remain the same: data-based management, personalization, digital educational technologies and digital competencies of employees.

“One of the points of further growth will be digital services for communication with partners. Thus, 1,164 organizations are already working in the partner’s personal account, providing 10,208 places for students in real projects and 19,329 places for internships,” Sandler cites figures. — Already this year we should reach the level of 96 thousand UrFU students who attended online lectures as part of the main educational programs. Next year we will exceed 100 000. This experience is being actively adopted by other universities - already more than 90 out of 42 regions.”

At the same time, the university focused not on the large number of services that it planned to develop, but on the key ones, since it became clear which ones were in greatest demand. The emphasis in the digitalization of research activities has also changed - from direct search, including intellectual search, international collaborations, the university is refocusing efforts on organizational services that support academic mobility and the writing of grant applications.