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Course with employment: "The profession of a Methodologist from scratch to PRO"
Find out moreNew participants, such as startups, accelerators, incubators, and training centers, continue to actively develop in the education market. This trend creates new economic flows and opens up promising niches. However, major players emphasize that to achieve high levels, private education companies need to collaborate with government agencies. This collaboration can improve the quality of education, expand access to educational resources, and introduce innovative teaching methods. Thus, synergy between the private and public sectors can be key to the successful development of the education ecosystem.
The situation in the education sector continues to generate interest and requires attention. The question of whether the new education market will develop alongside the traditional education system or integrate with private initiatives remains open. Experts are confident that small startups can find their place in this dynamic environment, but they must develop effective strategies for survival and growth. The discussion of these issues at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum highlights the importance of interaction between various educational formats and the need to find optimal solutions for their harmonious coexistence.
Between Freedom of Innovation and Federal State Educational Standards
Nurlan Kiyasov, founder and program director of the EdCrunch conference, emphasized that significant changes have occurred in the educational model over the past two to three years. These transformations affect both teaching methods and the technologies used in the learning process. Modern approaches emphasize individualization of learning, the introduction of digital tools, and the active use of online resources. Education is becoming more accessible and flexible, allowing students to adapt to new challenges and labor market demands. In light of these changes, the EdCrunch conference continues to serve as a platform for discussing current issues and innovations in education.
- Technology and digital content have become increasingly important during the era of remote learning.
- The influence of families and tutors on children's education has increased, and the number of homeschooled students is rapidly growing.
- The approach to designing educational experiences is changing, incorporating advances in neuroscience—knowledge of how the human brain perceives and processes information.
The expert argues that modern schools and universities will not cope with current challenges without collaboration with leading online educational platforms. These platforms have significant experience in marketing, attracting, and supporting students in a digital environment, while traditional educational institutions often lack such competencies. Effective collaboration between educational institutions and online platforms can contribute to improved educational processes and higher student quality, which in turn will lead to more successful integration of education into today's digital society.
Kiyasov notes the successful collaboration within the online bachelor's and master's degree programs being developed by EdCrunch University, based at NUST MISIS. These programs are the result of collaboration with leading universities and EdTech companies, highlighting the importance of partnerships in education and technology.
Diana Koroleva, Director of the International Competition for Innovations in Education (KIVO), echoes Kiyasov's sentiments regarding the importance of collaboration in education. She notes that innovators are a disparate group that lacks a unifying force. Creators of educational initiatives often lack awareness of either allies or competitors, and thus remain unnoticed by both government agencies and investors. As a result, according to Koroleva, the educational services market is developing very slowly. To accelerate this process, it is necessary to create a platform for interaction and support for educational initiatives, which will allow for a unification of efforts and the promotion of important educational innovation projects.
The difficulty lies in the fact that schools and EdTech companies use different languages, making it difficult for them to understand each other. This lack of established communication between educational institutions and technology companies creates additional barriers to the implementation of innovative educational solutions.
The speaker emphasizes the need to develop tools that will increase the visibility of innovation in education. One such tool could be a marketplace for educational products. Koroleva also emphasizes the importance of joint projects that arise at the intersection of business and formal education, which facilitates the more effective implementation of new ideas and approaches in the educational process.
Alexander Laryanovsky, Managing Partner of Skyeng, asserts that integration between EdTech companies and traditional educational institutions is becoming inevitable. Despite the differences in the development stages of market participants, modern challenges are pushing them to collaborate. EdTech companies are striving for a more academic approach, while traditional educational institutions are actively implementing digital technologies. This mutual adaptation allows for the creation of more effective educational solutions and meets the needs of students in the modern world.
The existing foundation for cooperation has already been established and does not require rebuilding. It will adapt in response to changes among participants and their interests. This enables effective collaboration, taking into account the dynamic needs of players.
Alexander Laryanovsky is the Managing Partner of Skyeng, one of the leading online educational projects in Russia. Under his leadership, Skyeng successfully develops innovative approaches to learning, focusing on an individual approach to each student. Thanks to his strategic vision and management skills, the company expands its services and improves the quality of education, contributing to the growing popularity of online education in the country. Alexander is distinguished by a deep understanding of educational technologies and the market, which allows Skyeng to remain competitive and attract new clients.
Pavel Zenkovich, Vice President of Development at the Prosveshcheniye Group of Companies, emphasizes that the situation in school education is quite multifaceted. Every problem has at least three different points of view: government agencies, teachers, and parents. This approach to analyzing educational issues allows for a deeper understanding of the complex aspects of the educational system and facilitates the search for effective solutions.
Parents strive for the full development of their children so that they can successfully realize their potential in the future. The state's goal, in turn, is to ensure equal educational opportunities for all children, from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok. This requires establishing certain standards that will help create a fair educational environment for everyone.
Imposing the high educational standards adopted in Moscow and St. Petersburg schools in the regions could lead to the closure of a large number of educational institutions. Many schools will not be able to meet these requirements, which will create serious problems for the education system as a whole. It is necessary to consider the specific characteristics and capabilities of the regions to ensure high-quality education for all students.
Pavel Zenkovich is Vice President of Development at the Prosveshcheniye Group of Companies. His work focuses on strategic development and the implementation of innovative solutions in education. As part of his work, he is actively involved in projects aimed at improving the quality of educational services and adapting modern technologies to the educational process. Pavel Zenkovich's experience in managing and developing educational initiatives strengthens the company's position in the market.
According to the expert, in the new Federal State Educational Standards (FSES), currently being approved, the core content, which is mandatory for all schoolchildren, accounts for approximately 50% of the curriculum. The remainder of the curriculum will be determined based on teacher discretion and parental requests, allowing for the individual needs and interests of students to be taken into account. This innovation is aimed at increasing the flexibility of the educational process and adapting it to modern requirements.
According to Zenkovich, the new educational standards will create a multi-tiered structure. At its core will be guaranteed public education, accessible to all. Achieving deep knowledge and developing talent requires a competitive educational market offering innovative approaches and products. Digital technologies will play a key role, providing children from various regions with access to high-quality educational materials and online classes with highly qualified teachers. This will create equal opportunities for learning and development, regardless of students' location.
According to the speaker, the system has the advantage of allowing startups to freely experiment in areas inaccessible to formal educational institutions. This allows them to develop innovative solutions and adapt to rapidly changing market conditions. This approach fosters creativity and flexible thinking, which is a key factor for success in modern business. Mistakes made during undergraduate studies can be corrected in graduate school, but omissions made in grades 6 and 7 are often irreparable. Therefore, it is critical that lesser participants in the educational process have the opportunity to explore and implement new approaches. In the school education system, caution is essential when experimenting to avoid compromising the foundations of the educational process. Pavel Zenkovich is Vice President of Development at the Prosveshcheniye Group of Companies. His experience and professional skills contribute to the continued growth of the company, a leader in educational solutions. In his role, Pavel actively works on strategic planning and the implementation of innovative approaches, which improves the quality of educational products and services. Under his leadership, the Prosveshchenie group of companies continues to strengthen its position in the market, offering modern and effective training for various categories of learners.
Where are the right niches?
Not all experts participating in the discussion agree that cooperation is a necessary and natural solution in the current conditions. Yakov Somov, director of the online course platform and digital publishing house Lectorium, holds an alternative point of view.
According to him, the path of educational product producers who are focused on selling to their clients, such as corporations or universities, is risky and ineffective.
By purchasing a package, a person gets access to comprehensive training, not individual courses. I am not a supporter of microlearning, as it is inferior in effectiveness to online master's programs. Comprehensive programs offer a deeper understanding of the topic and provide a holistic approach to learning.
Yakov Somov is the director of the Lectorium platform, which offers online course hosting and digital publishing services. Under his leadership, the platform has successfully developed, providing users with access to high-quality educational content. Lectorium is focused on creating a convenient environment for learning and professional development, making it a key player in the online education sector. Somov is actively working to improve the platform's functionality and expand its capabilities, enabling educational institutions and faculty to effectively share knowledge and experience digitally.
Somov draws an analogy with website development companies. Currently, they face two main approaches: either creating a unique and complex project, or performing low-margin tasks for clients who do not realize that a website can be created using free website builders. In today's environment, the importance of the website itself is diminished compared to the traffic a company can attract to it. Effective user acquisition and traffic management are becoming key factors for a successful online presence.
The speaker emphasizes that it is currently essential to focus on two key aspects: interaction with authors, which publishing houses refer to as the work of a literary agent, and effective content distribution. These elements are the foundation for the successful promotion and distribution of literary works in today's market.
Somov emphasizes that adults choose educational courses that deliver specific results, such as promotion or mastering a new profession. Meanwhile, when choosing courses for children that aren't related to OGE or USE preparation, the emphasis is on inspiring and developing the child's thinking. In this context, Lectorium successfully focuses on creating and actively promoting courses in supplementary education for children. According to Somov, the company doesn't compete with traditional schools, but rather with popular science literature, offering innovative and engaging educational solutions.
In conclusion, Yakov Somov once again emphasizes the critical importance of avoiding the role of an "appendage" that merely creates content for other companies' business processes. This position emphasizes the need to build autonomy and strategic independence, which allows the company to develop its own brand and create unique value for customers.
What the European experience shows
Anna Dementyeva, Program Director of the xEdu accelerator, shared information about the state of innovation and cooperation in the field of education abroad. She identified three key features of the European education market.
- As a rule, a European educational startup achieves relatively high business indicators only after 8-10 years of existence. And this, of course, applies only to those companies that survive this period.
- Sales processes in the public sector are quite complex for a small company and take a long time. Large companies are also rarely interested in purchasing a product from startups.
- Opportunities for scaling in Europe are very limited. In the field of education, such a concept as the European market simply does not exist. Whether you're selling to schools, private consumers, or corporations, there are significant differences between European countries, not only in language but also in the education system, teachers' and parents' attitudes toward learning, and so on. Often, it's impossible to even talk about a single country's market—the procurement processes for educational products can be so different in different regions and cities.
The situation among educational startups and innovators is such that cooperation is the only option for achieving significant results and ensuring survival. In this context, Dementieva identifies two key trends in European education. These trends emphasize the importance of collaboration and the exchange of experience between various participants in the educational process, which promotes innovation and improves the quality of learning.
- Coopetition—a combination of the English words "competition" and "cooperation"—denotes a situation where competing companies join forces to solve problems they cannot solve alone. In practice, this is the emergence of industry associations, such as EdTech Finland, founded two years ago by educational startups to share experiences. Companies jointly create and sell service packages, organize professional events, and so on. Cocreation, or "co-creation," is the creation of educational innovations by startups in collaboration with students and teachers. This model was approved at the national level in Finland five years ago and is already being used in other countries, such as Sweden. Importantly, this isn't just about testing new products, but actively involving students and teachers in the development process. Everyone benefits: students gain experience in project-based and entrepreneurial activities, teamwork, and teachers become familiar with innovations and can make them more convenient for practical application.
