UNIVERSITIES AND COMPANIES STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP: RUSSIAN PRACTICE

One of the main purposes of the educational system is to provide a qualified workforce for the companies of the different industries. And nowadays universities understand that along with the teaching and research activities they should pay attention to the creation positive and effective relationship with the business world. To achieve their goals and to become competitive on the market both universities and companies should create long-term relationships that give them the opportunities for effective development. So, they should think about strategic partnership. Because of the strategic partnership universities can share and exchange knowledge and expertise with the business community. They understand the “outside world” and its needs and requirements better and then they can use this knowledge in their activities. Strategic partnerships can help universities earn extra profit and encourage innovations. But to use all of these advantages universities should learn more about strategic partnerships. They should know about the mechanism and forms of the partnership, such as universities enterprises and technical parks, the using of the universities facilities, professional development courses, business-related events, employing universities graduates, research cooperation. The paper contains the theoretical as well as the practical aspects of the strategic partnership between universities and companies. The authors have summarized the approaches to the strategic partnership and analyzed the most important forms of the partnership in Russia using the practice of the most developed Russian universities.