VOLGSTU GRADUATE ASSOCIATION: DEBUT IN A PANDEMIC BACKGROUND

Alumni associations are a relatively new phenomenon for Russia, typical, as a rule, for large metropolitan universities with a long history, rich traditions and extensive international relations. In recent years, alumni associations have begun to appear in regional universities. The authors analyze the situation with the development of alumni associations in the flagship universities of the country and in the universities of Volgograd (the chronology and forms of activity are considered). The article summarizes the results of Volgograd State Technical University Alumni Association's first year. Plans, goals and tasks for the further development of the VolgSTU Alumni Association have been developed. The authors show that the dynamic formation of alumni associations can be promising for regional universities as well, serving as platforms for the interaction of regional elites, centres of strategic decisions for regional development and providing communication between generations of alumni.

Development of Academic Technological Entrepreneurship in Russia

Technology entrepreneurs play a critical role in modern models of economic growth. At the same time, the features and development trajectories of technological entrepreneurship and gazelle firms in Russia differ from countries with mature market economies. The purpose of the article is to assess the state of academic technology entrepreneurship in Russian universities and to develop recommendations for its development. The methods of two-dimensional classification of universities according to two indicators of technological entrepreneurship development, correlation analysis, assessment of intergroup differences according to the Mann-Whitney U-criterion, qualitative analysis of entrepreneurial ecosystems in universities, methods of constructing algorithms were used. As a result, it was found that the number of start-ups and the likelihood of receiving commercial funding are practically not correlated. There is a group of universities that are not among the largest metropolitan universities, but have a high proportion of entrepreneurial projects that have successfully passed the seed stage and received commercial funding (business angel, venture fund). These top performing universities are distinguished not only by their innovative infrastructure, but also by a wide variety of community centers. Taking into account the results obtained an algorithm for the development of academic technological entrepreneurship on the basis of the university as an innovation hub has been developed. Its important elements are: pre-active marketing of scientific research groundwork, development of the social capital of the ecosystem, and collaboration practices. The results may be of interest to technology entrepreneurs themselves, as well as to universities interested in the development of academic entrepreneurship.

education

The rapid development of the Internet blurs the geographical concept of province. In the “space of the worldwide web”, centers emerge, become influential and then lose their status so quickly that they simply have no time to become a metropolis. Architectural education experiences these trends to the full extent.The global crisis of the educational system has created a strong demand for distant forms of the professional training; while the coronavirus pandemic has boosted the development of online education.The themes of students’ projects are also changing: provincial cities have become a popular topic for students of metropolitan universities. Even campus architecture is under the pervasive influence of the Internet.The collection of articles devoted to the problems and prospects of the development of architectural education in the new context brings up the topic that will be continued in our next issues.

All In: The Urban Mission

The Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) celebrated its 25th annual conference in October 2019. Convening in Philadelphia PA, this conference was the largest for CUMU to date, selling out weeks in advance and drawing representatives from across the United States, Canada, and South Africa. With the theme of “All In: The Urban Mission”, attendees gathered purposefully to examine how universities are striving to intentionally align their goals with the priorities of their host cities to affect desired change, drive economic development and inclusion, and address issues of shared importance.

Categorial Image Structure of Their Ethnic Community Member in Modern Russian Students

Junior students have to adapt not only to the new educational environment, but also to the intercultural community of metropolitan universities. Russian students have problems both with categorization of members of other ethnic communities and their own self-categorization, i.e. the way they see a member of their own culture. The research objective was to determine the categorical structure of the image of a representative of their own culture in Russian students that studied in the city of Barnaul. The image depended on the predominating type of the respondents' own ethnic identity. The research methodology was based on the systematic approach to the personality analysis, J. Bruner's theory of perception, V. F. Petrenko's psychosemantic approach, and G. U. Soldatova's typology of ethnic identity. The authors employed the methods of an expert assessment, subjective scaling, and the questionnaire " Types of Ethnic Identity" by G. U. Soldatova and S. V. Ryzhova. They presented the categorical structure of the image of a member of the Russian ethnic group as factor models, or category structures, that described the representative of Russian nationality. Factor models were identified on the basis of the predominant type of ethnic identity of the respondents. Four factor models revealed that young people with a pronounced hyper-identity had a more positive view of the members of their ethnic group, focusing on their strength and strong-will. Students with average ethnic identity noted both advantages and disadvantages. Students with pronounced ethnic indifference tended to put more stress on the negative categories. Students with hypo-identity saw only negative traits in the members of their ethnic group. Therefore, behavioral patterns of interethnic interaction partially depended on the content of the categorical image structure of the representative of one's ethnic group. The authors propose several ways of developing a positive ethnic identity, which make it possible to shape an adequate attitude to representatives of one's own ethnicity and other ethnic groups.

Introduction to Future of Urban and Metropolitan Universities

On this occasion of the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU), we have invited past and present executive committee members to share their perspectives on the contemporary prospects, challenges, and opportunities for the members of this thriving organization.

Colour, culture and difference in Australian teacher education: voices from the edge

Purpose Although much has been written about international students in higher education in Australia, there is a paucity of research and discussion about international academics especially non-whites and their lived experience in the workplace. This paper represents the voices of two academics working in metropolitan universities in Melbourne. The purpose of this paper is to raise awareness of how in spite of all the goodwill and highbrow research, the “corridors of academia” need to be examined in considering the politics of inclusion and internationalisation as the authors still need to address issues of colour as they exist in the academy. Design/methodology/approach The authors use narrative inquiry and reflection to tell the story as both phenomenon and method where the phenomenon is the story and inquiry is the narrative. Findings The findings suggest student and staff perceptions of difference are mostly theorised but not practiced within the academy. Research limitations/implications The paper includes two voices, a limitation in itself, thus generalisations cannot be made to other academics or institutions. The authors recommend more professional development for staff and students alike to embrace issues of colour, culture and difference. Practical implications The authors draw attention to the need for academics to reflect on their behaviour within their own academic communities and be more aware of minority groups in academia. Social implications By including and listening to issues facing minority groups (academics and students) can only improve the social cohesion of university worksites. Originality/value This is an original work carried out by both authors. It raises concerns that may also be experienced international staff and or students.

Equity and the Urban University: Introduction to the Chicago Conference Issue

his 2018 CUMU Annual Conference issue of Metropolitan Universities journal (MUJ) highlights efforts by universities and scholars seeking to engage directly with issues of equity in cities. Reflecting on the conference theme, Partnering for Equity, the City of Chicago offered arguably one of the most sobering and rich contexts for discussing the role of higher education in promoting equity. A 2017 study found the cost of lost income to Chicago’s regional economy due to racial segregation exceeded $4 billion (Urban Institute, 2017, pg. IX). This same study noted an estimated 83,000 college degrees never attained because of racial segregation (Urban Institute, 2017, pg. 40). Chicago, like many urban areas, present the most pressing opportunities and challenges for uncovering and addressing issues of equity. As reflected in the conference presentations and speeches, one of the most important changes in higher education is the growing recognition that social change begins on and around the campus. Paulo Freire posited this view nearly 40 years ago in Pedagogy of the Oppressed, naming education a political act. To fully realize this transformative power of higher education, universities must partner across institutions and sectors to reveal and address critical issues of equity. This is the focus of the work shared at the 2018 CUMU Annual Conference.

Urban Education as Racialized State Violence

This address was given as the plenary presentation to the 24th Annual Conference of the Coalition for Urban and Metropolitan Universities, Chicago, Illinois, October 23, 2018.