The Historical Dimension of Higher School's Innovative Potential

Abstract

Today for understanding of the higher school's innovative mission it is necessary to apply large-scale civilizational approach, bringing together technological and humanitarian aspects of innovations, and embracing educational as well as cultural concerns. This approach covers a range of central ideas in the history of the higher school development, describing such constructs of its innovative activity as: social-centered, theology-centered, anthropocentric, profession-centered, scientific-centered, ideology-focused, market-focused. Each of these designs is defined by influence of a certain cultural dominant which sets priorities for education and innovative practice. The sustainable innovative potential of the higher school can be provided by a simultaneous combination and an interlacing of various constructs. Meanwhile, the leading role has to belong to person-centered construct of the higher education which gives the chance for self-realization of the personality and for carrying out fruitful innovations. The results from a survey of the current situation at the higher school show destructive influence of monopoly of market-focused construct on its innovative viability. The main positive trend that provides this viability is connected with civilizational reconstruction of the higher school on a basis of expansion of its poly-cultural status and development of the personal value of educational and innovative processes.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n4s4p283