Does agricultural education have a unique path?
Vugar Bagirov, the director of the Department for Coordinating the Activities of Organizations in the Field of Agricultural Sciences at the Ministry of Education and Science, emphasized the issue of the prestige of agricultural education, which often serves as a "fallback option" for applicants. A key reason for this is the low salary levels, a concern that should primarily be addressed by the agribusiness sector, which is currently experiencing a labor shortage. For agricultural universities, it is crucial to develop the scientific domain that can grow in partnership with enterprises.
Elena Sukhanova, the Deputy Pro-Rector for Educational Activities at TGU, presented the features of a new model of higher education, its advantages for addressing the pressing issues in agricultural education, and TGU's experience in implementing pilot programs in Agrobiology.
Alexander Klyagin, Deputy Head of the Laboratory "University Development" at the Institute of Education, HSE, noted that, according to Rosstat, one-third of specialists in the field are trained at universities that are not agricultural, while the number of graduates from secondary vocational education (SPO) preparing for the agricultural sector is twice that of university graduates. Alexander posed a question to the roundtable participants: Is the existing framework for agricultural universities still relevant?
Vugar Bagirov warned that if the current model of education in agricultural fields at agricultural universities is not modernized, non-agricultural universities may take on this role.
Vitaly Aleshchenko, a master's student in the "Management in Higher Education" program at the Institute of Education, HSE, and an expert at the Socio-Center, pointed out that out of 43 strategic projects under the Priority 2030 Program related to the agro-industrial sector, most are being implemented outside of agricultural universities. Proposing solutions, Vitaly emphasized the importance of going beyond existing frameworks and repackaging educational programs to make them more interdisciplinary.
Business representatives confirm that there is a significant demand from the industry for this approach. Veronika Lukinova, director of the Research and Development Center at the agricultural holding "STEP," noted that "there needs to be a translator between an IT specialist and an agronomist." It is essential to introduce broader competencies that enable specialists to work in the evolving digital landscape. According to her, in this case, the career growth opportunities for graduates would be comparable to those of specialists in the highest-paying fields.
This thesis is supported by Viktor Berdyshev, the general director of the Non-Profit Organization "Association of Educational Institutions of the Agro-Industrial Complex and Fisheries," who believes that professionals in the agro-industrial complex also lack economic and managerial competencies.
Adding to the industry's requests, Ivan Svinarev, director of genetics at PAO "INARKTIKA," noted that graduates of agricultural universities lack practical training to understand work processes. However, it is inefficient for companies to spend resources on practical training for students, as many do not continue working at the company afterward.
It is important to highlight that universities already have successful practices in responding to these market demands. Lyudmila Tekutyeva, director of the Advanced Engineering School at DVFU, presented examples of joint projects between enterprises and the university, which involve students who are employed even during their studies.
Evgeny Rudoy, rector of NGAU, shared his experience in restructuring the university's scientific and technical activities aimed at increasing research productivity and implementing large-scale projects, such as a digital technological platform for agricultural enterprises in the field of breeding.
Olga Sevoстyanova, head of the department for innovative educational programs at StGAU, along with Alexey Petukh, pro-rector for academic affairs at KubGAU, supplemented the examples of useful practices with their experience in attracting talented students through the implementation of agricultural classes, specialized Olympiads, and intensive courses. Network programs, which are practically absent in agricultural universities, were also highlighted as an important aspect of improving student educational outcomes.
Larisa Glazunova, a professor at the GAU of the Northern Urals, shared her experience in reviving the practice of educational experimental farms and their commercialization.
The discussions at the roundtable suggest that it is currently difficult to assert that the perceptions of universities and enterprises about each other align with reality. This is why substantive discussions on transforming the existing model of agricultural education development are necessary. We can see that one party speaks of high demand while the other speaks of high supply, but between them lies a communication gap.
