The priority 2030 strategic academic leadership program as a driver of university transformation in the Russian Far East

Abstract

The Strategic Academic Leadership Program Priority 2030 , launched by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, has become a key instrument for the institutional transformation of Russian universities and the formation of sustainable regional academic centers. Unlike previous initiatives (such as the Project 5-100 and the National Research Universities Program), the new framework emphasizes regional development, diversification of growth sources, and the establishment of universities as drivers of territorial advancement. This study aims to provide a quantitative assessment of the effects of participation by universities in the Far Eastern Federal District (FEFD) in the Far Eastern track of the Priority 2030 program, comparing their dynamics with universities in the region that did not receive state support. The analysis is based on data from the Federal Monitoring of the Effectiveness of Higher Education Institutions (Form 1-Monitoring, 2020–2025) across seven key indicators of institutional development: student enrollment growth, admission quality (Unified State Exam scores), internationalization, research performance, commercialization of intellectual property results, human resource potential, and financial sustainability. The application of t-test and multiple linear regression methods revealed that participation in the program has a positive effect on the growth of research and human resource potential but does not lead to statistically significant differences in educational performance and financial stability. It was found that the Priority 2030 program performs a stabilizing function, maintaining the level of institutional resilience and internationalization of universities in the region. The results demonstrate that the Far Eastern track of the Priority 2030 program serves as an institutional driver of the development of Far Eastern universities, strengthening their role in the socio-economic growth of the regions. The findings may be used to improve program management mechanisms and to inform the development of the second phase of strategic initiatives of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.