| Svetlana Golovina |
Biography |
Abstract |
- Golovina, Svetlana
- International Connections Prorector and Professor
- Kurgan State Agricultural Academy
- Russia
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Svetlana Golovina is Scientific Work Pro-rector of the Kurgan State Agricultural Academy (Russia), Doctor of Economic Science, Professor of the Chair of Economic Theory. Her research interests include international education development in global perspective, rural communities and rural development, agricultural organizations efficiency. She participated in several international research projects, connected with different problems of agrarian education and rural communities’ development. Svetlana Golovina is the author of three books and more than seventy articles. Prior to becoming a Fulbright New Century Scholar, her research has been supported by International Council for Canadian Studies, Open Society Institute, Swedish Institute and others.
AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY AS A CRUCIAL CATALYST FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY REDUCTION IN TRANSITION AGRICULTURAL REGIONS
Agriculture and rural communities have changed dramatically during last decades in all countries including Russia and the USA. Today, concerns with food safety and security, globalization and industry concentration in the food system, preservation of natural resources and environment, competitiveness in global markets, introduction of genetically modified plants and animals, rural poverty and inadequate health care in rural areas touch the interests of all countries. Agricultural universities have to serve not only as an educational institution but also as a crucial catalyst of rural economic and social development. But the most of Russian agricultural universities are ill- arranged to become innovation engines.
The purpose of our research is the development of conceptual and practical approaches to the elaboration of new agricultural university model. The research will be focused on three basic directions which are supposed to prove in the theoretical and practical way:
Objective 1: To elaborate the particular model of agricultural university (its organizational, financial and governmental arrangement) which will be able not only to perform educational functions for young people but serve as a crucial engine in the development of rural economy, areas and communities.
Objective 2: To work out special forms of continuing education for adult people, leaders of rural communities and agricultural specialists for permanent renewal of their knowledge and skills. The specific of agricultural brunch of economy, peculiarities of rural life and shortcomings of infrastructure in countryside will play a crucial role in the selection of successful forms of continuing education in transition agrarian regions.
Objective 3: To develop stable mutually beneficial channels for the flows of innovations, scientific achievements and special knowledge from agricultural university to agrarian leaders, producers and governmental administrations. Some special organizational structures (like extension and consultation services) and motivational mechanisms will be suggested for the realization in regional agrarian universities.
The detailed research will be carried out at the Kurgan State Agricultural Academy, the Michigan State University and corresponding agrarian regions. Both qualitative and quantitative data through surveys, in-depth and expert interviews, and agricultural production and market observations in Kurgan region and Michigan will be collected. Comparative data will be analyzed together with American specialists. Our research will have significant academic and practical importance to many involved Russian and American parties: Kurgan region and Kurgan State Agricultural Academy, Michigan State University, participants of NCS.
The research will allow us to generate the potential of higher agricultural education for the expansion of innovation in so specific brunch of economy, for organization of continuing education and for innovation development of rural territories. The elaboration of rational organizational model of agrarian university will help to reveal the basic directions and to develop constructive offers on the further reorganization of agrarian education. For the conditions of transition agricultural regions optimum models of modern university, directions and forms of university’s extension service and forms of its cooperation with agricultural enterprises will be proved.
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