Determinants of Universities’ Global Competitiveness: Higher Education Development Strategies in Ukraine

Abstract

The author considers key factors of universities’ global competitiveness that internationally determine their advantages in terms of conducting scientific research, provision of educational services and accomplishing important social tasks. A strategic role of the state in developing competitive higher education shows itself in design and implementation of comprehensive national strategies of establishing world-class universities that would ensure prominent research results, in reformation of university sector management systems and in provision of an efficient competitive academic setting. In the article there is an analysis of statistic data from 50 countries of the world concerning expenses for higher education, higher school quality indicators and the presence of national universities in global university rankings. The analysis revealed a close positive interrelation between the level and dynamics of overall expenses for higher education per student, between national higher education relative quality and including universities of one or another country into the Shanghai ranking. The author reasons parameters of public and private expenses per student that are optimal in terms of formation of an efficient higher education model and provision of its global competitiveness. On the basis of evaluation of the current state and development trends for higher education in Ukraine basic barriers on the way of establishing national world-class universities are determined: shortage of higher education institutions’ financial resources and an inefficient university sector management model. The author systematizes political priorities, strategic goals and directions of Ukraine’s public policy in the field of scientific research and education, aimed at creating competitive universities.