Siberian University Cities: Trends of Development, Challenges, Opportunities

This article represents a comprehensive study of the different types of the modern trends of development of two Siberian University Cities, Novosibirsk and Tomsk, which belong to different patterns of a university city. One of the implements of knowledge society development as well as the means of intellectual potential reproduction is a university. The age of globalization fosters universities competition, both nationally and internationally. Nowadays higher education is a necessary condition for successful economic development of countries and regions. A university as an institution makes a significant impact on a city's history and economy. Generally, a university has been the main growth factor for a city, taking into consideration new technologies and new jobs creation. University cities are the drivers of the knowledge economy. That is the reason for the interest in universities network development from the local authorities. The term 'university city' is interpreted by the research group as a complex of several interconnected elements, including material (economy, infrastructure), mental (intellectual, moral and spiritual peculiarities of specific social communities), social and cultural, economic (university as a basis for knowledge economy) and ecological (environmentally friendly university campus of the future) components. A university city has a special type of social and economic ecosystem, where information and knowledge (as non-material resources) are the basis of consumption and distribution. Recently, Tomsk and Novosibirsk were ranked 91st and 93rd, respectively, in the QS Best Student Cities World Ranking. QS Ranking criteria reflect a new tendency of university cities development - nowadays their attraction depends both on high-level universities presence and comfortable conditions for students. The comprehensive analysis included such a criterion as the availability of the network of universities and scientific centers, the leading role of the educational and scientific system in the strategy of the city's development and the share of students in the city population. The well-developed educational and scientific system raises the desirability of cities for national and international students. Programs of support from the federal and regional authorities are advantageous for university cities. The declining number of students is certainly a negative factor, which boosts competition for university entrants between university cities. The main competitive advantage will be state support of infrastructure projects in university cities. The examples of Tomsk and Novosibirsk demonstrate estimated results. Thus, since the beginning of this century, both cities have been the most attractive in Siberia for university entrants.

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