“Startup as a Diploma” program: Opportunities for implementation in the “Publishing” direction of training

The article deals with the introduction of the new program “Startup as a Diploma” in the educational process on the example of Udmurt State University (UdSU). Based on a survey, students’ awareness of the implementation of this program at the university and their interest in participating in it are revealed. The possibilities of using the format of defense of the final qualification work (FQW) in the form of a startup for undergraduate students in the field of study “Publishing” are analyzed. The main idea of the “Startup as a Diploma” program is to offer students a new format of the FQW and its defense in the form of a startup. Students are given the opportunity to develop their own project, attract investments, receive the first income from its implementation and support when starting their business. The program is designed to involve students in the development of entrepreneurship in their region. Since 2022, this program has been implemented in universities throughout the country, but its uniform standards have not yet been formed, and participating universities face difficulties in implementing it. Given the expansion of the program to other universities and to all areas of training, the study of its development by individual universities seems important and necessary. In September 2021, UdSU became a member of the Priority 2030 Strategic Academic Leadership Program (SALP). One of the directions of SALP is the introduction of the “Startup as a Diploma” program. The program is scheduled to launch this year. In order to implement the program, it is necessary to develop an entrepreneurial ecosystem at the university. Currently, UdSU is carrying out work aimed at developing project activities and building relationships with business representatives (student project competition, project sessions with entrepreneurs of the republic, developing cooperation with the technopark, business support centers, the Udmurt Republic Ministry of Economy), creating a program for accelerating student business projects. Regulations on the preparation and conduct of the state final certification in the “Startup as a Diploma” format are being developed; regulations for the registration of intellectual property created as a result of the development of a business project are being formed. The university is launching a program of additional professional education for teachers to create and support student startups. The conducted survey of students showed their low awareness of the possibility of defending the thesis in the startup format, yet the high attractiveness of this format. Analyzing the possibilities of introducing this new format for undergraduate publishing students, we come to the conclusion that students’ publishing projects in general can meet the criteria of the “Startup as a Diploma” program (the presence of a technological/social/innovative component of the project, a developed prototype, a well-developed solution for a business model, the potential for scaling/promoting the project, the presence of a real or potential investor) and defending in a new format. In general, the implementation of the “Startup as a Diploma” program has great potential for graduates who can convert their startup into a business, for a university that becomes an innovation center and graduates specialists with embodied ideas, and, accordingly, for the development of the region’s economy. The author declares no conflicts of interests.

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