The role of universities in achieving sustainable economic growth

Abstract

Economic growth should be a positive force for the development of the world and Russia. Encouraging entrepreneurship, digitalization, technological innovations in the industries, increase in labor productivity and achieve decent work are key to this. Higher education, in addition, is an important factor in economic growth. Higher education raises people’s productivity, promotes technological advances and innovative entrepreneurship.
To design an ample national policy for sustainable economic growth has become crucial for developed and developing nations. There are 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) today. The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings measure global universities’ success in delivering the UN SDGs. The Sustainable Development Goals promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, innovation. Sustainable Development Goal 8 recognizes the importance of sustained economic growth and high levels of economic productivity for the creation of well-paid quality jobs. Article author believes that universities play a key role in realizing SDG 8. The strategic goal
of the SDG 8 is to engage a global community of researchers and practitioners to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all. This is done by applied action research and through collaboration among researchers and practitioners in local and global contexts. The aim of this article is to develop research that contributes to the acquisition of knowledge about universities and their impact on sustainable economic uplift (SDG 8 «Decent Work and Economic Growth»). The study applies general scientific methods.