STEAM-education as a means to adapt Russian economy to external shocks

The field of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) is one of the most promising in education, and these professionals are employed in high-tech and creative industries that determine the future of global economy. The paper presents a detailed analysis of this sphere based on original approaches, both in the Russian Federation at large and in its regions. In Russia more than half a million people are annually admitted to STEAM training courses for higher education programs. Contrary to the all-Russian trend of reducing the number of students, enrollment for these programs has been steadily growing. According to the latest data, about 36% of university graduates in Russia have a specialty within STEAM. For comparison, this share in South Korea, Singapore, and Germany is above 45%. The largest share of specialists is trained in Tomsk region, St. Petersburg, and Moscow. At the same time, the number of STEAM graduates decreased in 41 Russian regions. In 2022, the risks for STEAM industry in Russia increased markedly: there is a migration outflow of most qualified personnel, with declining domestic demand for them. Over six months from February to August 2022, the total number of vacancies in the Russian labor market decreased by 9%, while STEM — by 23% (IT — by 32.5%). This may affect the long-term scientific and technological development of the country: our calculations show the importance of STEAM for creating start-ups, increasing publication and innovative activity. The article concludes with some measures for developing STEAM as a tool for long-term development and a way to adapt the country to external shocks.

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