3.1.3 Human Potential: Effects and Returns from Education

Research Area 3. Employment and Development of Skills and Competencies  → Research Program 3.1 Skills and Competencies: Returns, Formation, Assessment tools

Project period

2020-2025

Context of Research Project within a Subject of Human Capital

The ‘productivity paradox’ associated with a decrease in returns from formal indicators of educational coverage, as well as the practical discussion being conducted in the field of various sciences around ‘new requirements’ for a person, new ways of responding to these requirements and new aspects of returns from it, including human capital, necessitates a comprehensive interdisciplinary study, which integrates developments from sociology, economics, psychology, management and other sciences to develop a comprehensive model of the content, channels of formation and effects of human capital.

The research project Human Potential: Effects and Returns from Education focuses on the analysis of issues related to the ‘entrepreneurial element’ of human capital. Its role is presumably increasing in the conditions of the post-pandemic world and the observed dynamics of the development of social structures and institutions in the main spheres of public life, including the sphere of work

Project Aim

Developing a comprehensive multi-disciplinary theoretical model of the content, channels of formation and effects of human potential based on the study of the dynamics of changes in structural and institutional conditions in various areas of public life and related new requirements for human potential at the individual and collective level, as well as for institutions of human development and education in terms of the formation of appropriate characteristics; studying the role of individual institutional factors affecting the possibilities of education for the formation of human potential, the development of a model for evaluating the effectiveness of universities in new conditions, including in terms of contribution to the formation of human potential and other effects.

Project Objectives:

1. Developing a comprehensive multidisciplinary theoretical model of the content, channels of formation and effects of human potential
2. Developing a conceptual model describing and explaining the role of education in the development of entrepreneurship and institutional transformations (including through the initiative development of human capital/potential)
3. Identifying environmental factors and characteristics of students those are most associated with a successful entrepreneurial trajectory
4. Developing a conceptual model for analyzing factors determining the differentiation of educational and professional trajectories, social mobility, including the analysis of long-term effects of the professional trajectory of university graduates

Key Findings

2020

A basic conceptual model of the effects of human capital has been developed taking into account structural and institutional factors.

A basic conceptual model of the contribution of education to the development of entrepreneurship and institutional transformations has been developed, modeling of the effects of the ‘entrepreneurial element’ of human capital has been carried out

2021

Based on the study, critical analysis and generalization of advanced domestic and foreign poly- and interdisciplinary developments in areas relevant to the problems of human potential, basic theoretical models and methodological tools have been created that allow for comprehensive research in the field of the content, channels of formation and effects of human potential (including with a focus on the characteristics associated with ‘agency’ and the ‘entrepreneurial element’ of human capital/potential)

2022

A study of 36 educational initiatives related to learning to work in the stock market has been conducted. The results show that 2 types of educational initiatives have been formed in Russia. The first type is formal and not focused on deep immersion in the topic of programs from institutional brokers, the second type is educational initiatives that are in the ‘gray’ zone, often without an educational license and covering relatively small audiences, but demonstrating high efficiency in terms of supporting the ‘agency’ of the population in the field of entrepreneurship, as well as in a wide range of non-economic issues.

Educational Programs

Master's Program Science of Learning and Assessment

Educational trajectory Designing Educational Products. Pedagogy Master’s Program

Researcher at EdTech Minor

Human Potential Management Course. Public Administration Master's Program

HSE and RANEPA Joint Educational Workshops Social and Humanitarian Dimension of Human Potential

Study course Comparative Analysis of Education Systems

Study course Socio-economic Development Based on Human Potential: Problems, Prospects and Best Practices in Education

Publications

1. Sorokin P., Popova T. Classical and Modern Approaches to the Study of Solidarity: Problems and Prospects in the Context of Destructuration (RU) // Bulletin of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia. Series: Sociology. 2021. Vol. 21. No. 3. pp. 457-468.
2. Sorokin P., Vyatskaya (Matyushenko) Yu. Povalko A. Open Entrepreneurship Training Initiatives: Characteristics of the Russian Field (RU) // Foresight and STI Governance vol. 15, no 3, pp. 35-51.
3. Sorokin P., Frumin I. ‘Utility’ Of Education And The Role Of Transformative Agency: Policy Challenges And Agendas // Policy Futures in Education (https://doi.org/10.1177/14782103211032080)
4. Sorokin P. Modern Sociological Theory: Challenges and Opportunities for Russian Sociology// Sociological research. 2021. No. 11. pp. 12-23.
5. Sorokin P, Popova T. The Quality of Human Capital is a Response to the Challenges of Social Policy in the Context Of Destruction// Journal of Social Policy Research. 2022. Vol. 20. No. 1. pp. 157-168.
6. Sorokin P., International Expert Agenda in Education: Key Characteristics and Problem Areas // Education and science. 2022. Vol. 24. No. 1. pp. 11-52.
7. Entrepreneurship Education in Universities of Russia and the World: Why, How and with What Results?//Authors: P. Sorokin, A. Povalko, S. Chernenko; National Research University Higher School of Economics, Institute of Education. — Moscow: HSE, 2020. — 48 p. — 200 copies. — (Modern analytics of Education. № 9 (39))
8. Regional Differentiation of Accessibility of Higher Education in Russia (RU) // S. Malinovsky, E. Shibanova; National Research University Higher School of Economics, Institute of Education. — M.: HSE, 2020. — 68 p. - 300 copies. — (Modern Education Analytics. № 13 (43))
9. Report Measuring of Universal Competencies as an Outcome of Higher Education (RU) Authors: Svetlana Avdeeva, Pauline Gass, Elena Kardanova, Yulia Koreshnikova, Alyona Kulikova, Ekaterina Orel, Taras Paschenko and Pavel Sorokin.
10. Report How And Why To Measure Professional Skills?. (RU) Authors: P. Sorokin, V. Maltseva, P. Gass. National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow: HSE, 2021.
11. Report New Requirements for Human Potential: Development of Independence (RU) Authors: P. Sorokin, I. Frumin, E. Terentyev, Yu. Koreshnikova. National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow: HSE, 2022

Conferences

XXII April International Scientific Conference on Economic and Social Development (Moscow, Russia, April 4-22, 2021):
- special round table Assessment of Universal Competencies as Results of Higher Education (19/04/2021)
- special session Entrepreneurship Training: Institutional Landscape and Pedagogical Approaches and Agency, Autonomy, Resilience: a View through the Prism of Education in the framework of Section W (symposium) New Components of Human Potential: Understanding, Measurement and Development

Seminar Entrepreneurship Concepts: Comparison and Conclusions for Education (Moscow, Russia, June 2, 2021)

Joint seminar of the HSE and the World Bank Return on Education in Russia against the Background of International Comparisons: High or Low? from a series of events within the framework of the program Skills and Competencies: Return, Formation, Assessment Tools (Moscow, Russia, October 14, 2021)

Round table Regional Analytics and Higher Education Policy from a series of events within the framework of the program Skills and Competencies: Impact, Formation, Assessment Tools (Moscow, Russia, October 14, 2021)

Round table «Support of Technological Entrepreneurship in Universities: Institutional Conditions and Individual Trajectories  (within the framework of the XII International Russian Conference of Higher Education Researchers: Universities in Search of Quality: External Assessments, Internal Goals, Scientific and Educational Results) (Moscow, Russia, October 14, 2021)

Workshop of the Center for Vocational Education and Skills Development (03/03/2022, 24/03/2022, 31/03/2022, 07/04/2022)

XXIII Yasin (April) International Scientific Conference on Economic and Social Development (Moscow, Russia, April 5-22, 2022):
- special session Development of Innovative and Entrepreneurial Human Potential: What Universities Can Do (08/04/2022):
Sorokin P. Formation of Entrepreneurial Human Potential as a Task of Universities: Problems and Frontiers
Morozova E. The Role of Mentoring in Teaching Technological Entrepreneurship
- special round table New Requirements for Human Potential: The Development of Independence (19/04/2022)