Evgeny Grigorievich Vodichev,
Doctor of Historical Sciences, Novosibirsk State Technical University, Novosibirsk, Russia; National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
National Research Universities in Siberia: Global Matrices, Historical Legacy and Contemporary Practices
DOI: 10.31518/2618-9100-2025-1-10
The paper compares two different trajectories of the universities’ advancement to the status of national research universities (NRU), which legitimized and formalized their belonging to the elite segment of the Russian university system, using the example of leading universities in Siberia − Tomsk and Novosibirsk Universities. It is shown that the logic of development of the two universities’ potential and capabilities differed significantly, essentially reflecting two different scientific and educational paradigms. This is explained by the specific historical conditions of the emergence of universities and their evolution, their socio‑cultural role and significance in the regions of localization, the depth of integration into the system of fundamental science, management features, and a number of other factors. The Tomsk State University option, that became the first university in Siberia, is a model of evolution of a classical “Humboldtian” university that managed to preserve its basic principles in the difficult and controversial conditions of the Imperial and Soviet periods of national history, as well as post-Soviet transformations. The Novosibirsk State University option is a successful attempt to go beyond the principles and rules of the dominant scientific and technical, and scientific and educational policy by creating a university in close alliance with the Academy of Sciences as part of a single comprehensive scientific center. But despite all the differences in the evolution models, both universities have demonstrated “success stories” and are now the supporting links of the transforming innovation system.
Publishing: 24/02/2025
The article has been received by the editor on 01/11/2024
How to cite: Vodichev E.G. National Research Universities in Siberia: Global Matrices, Historical Legacy and Contemporary Practices // Historical Courier, 2025, No. 1 (39), pp. 136–153. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2025/ISTKURIER-2025-1-10.pdf]
Links: Issue 1 2025
Keywords: national research universities; higher education system; Novosibirsk State University; Tomsk State University; scientific and educational policy