Modeling the Spatial Organization of the Higher Education System in the Regional Economy

The innovative strategic scenario of Russian regions requires new models for the territorial distribution of resources, key ones to this type of development. The development of these models is especially important for higher education, which is a basic condition for building innovative subsystems, creating poles and growth centers, a factor in reducing development differentiation in regions. The spatial organization was not in the focus of higher education reforms for a long time, despite the innovative agenda, the deep theoretical basis and the successful world experience of its modeling as a management tool. In this regard, the objective of the study is to substantiate the methodology for managing the development of the higher education system on the basis of spatial organization models that have been effective in countries with similar territorial conditions, trends and problems of the university network development. Within the framework of the research, the following tasks should be solved: to study theoretical foundations of modeling the spatial organization of the higher education system and to develop models; to determine the factors for the successful application of a model in Russia that has proved effective in the results of econometric analysis; to generalize foreign experience and suggest schemes for implementing a priority model in the economy of Russian regions. The scientific novelty of the study is to develop a methodology for managing the development of the higher education system with the possible implementation of spatial modeling tools. The methods of the research are theoretical-empirical, systemic and comparative analysis. Special methods of economic and statistical analysis, ranking techniques, general and special purpose software tools (Microsoft Excel, Statistica 8.0) are used for observing and grouping data, building generalizing indicators, in assessing the connection of phenomena, for comparing facts and determining the characteristics of the priority model of the spatial organization of the higher education system, the conditions for its application in the economy of Russian regions. The main conclusions and results can be used for the research in the spatial distribution of economic resources in the innovative economy, in the practice of targeted programming for the development of vocational education, taking into account the characteristics of the subjects of the Russian Federation.