A New Higher Education Policy In Russia : Enhancing Meaning-Centered Education via its Realization

Social and economic changes in the world, along with changes in the culture of government and structural changes in the relationship between the state, the market and higher education institutions, have resulted in new approaches pursued by states towards higher education (Konstantinov & Philonovich, 2007; Peterka, 2011). Higher education institutions, in its turn, enjoy more freedom in choosing to focus on various tasks and goals to their academic activities. This contributes to the diversity of expectations when it comes to the various roles modern academic institutions take on with regard to their development. Among many existing concepts in the current academic environment, the concept of "entrepreneurial university" is becoming a critically important concept in Russia. In this article, we consider the concept of the Entrepreneurial University as developed in Clark and Etzkowitz's theories, and the ways the concept is being adjusted in the higher education system in Russia. We analyze comparatively both contemporary and prior historical [1990s-mid2000s] state policies pertaining to higher-education institutions in Russia in order to provide an insight into how the national market of knowledge intensive production is being established in the country. As a consequence of these analyses, we present a new model of how universities can take a more systemic and meaningful approach to creating research-based innovation entrepreneurial activities. This approach is also viewed as making universities' innovation activities more sustainable and thus less dependent on the state support.