Creative Industries Need Education, Ambition and Digital Skills, Says Valery Belgorodsky
Russia's creative industries are expanding faster than most other sectors of the economy. To help young professionals keep pace with an increasingly digital society, the education system must equip students with the competencies that matter most today – adaptability and the ability to work across disciplines.
Speaking during the seventh annual Rossiyskaya Kreativnaya Nedelya (Russian Creative Week) federal festival and forum at Moscow's Gorky Park, Valery Belgorodsky, Rector of Kosygin Russian State University, discussed how higher education can prepare graduates for one of the economy's most demanding sectors, where growth is closely tied to the rapid development of digital technologies.
– To help students develop meaningful competencies in today's world, education must rest on three pillars: a strong academic foundation, alignment with industry needs, and close partnerships with employers. And, of course, it must also reflect economic realities. These are the essential elements that enable students to become professionals in their chosen fields, especially in the creative industries.
Creative industries are built on education, practical experience, and interdisciplinary learning. Without those three components, it becomes difficult to distinguish truly creative work from everything else. This field demands an entirely new set of competencies shaped by the needs of the real economy.
There are two key starting points for the economic value that today's students can create in the future. The first is redesigning how education itself is organized. The learning model should be built around a matrix structure. At Kosygin Russian State University, we introduced a practice-oriented, interdisciplinary approach that maps interactions across 53 sectors of economic activity and 26 academic disciplines taught at the university. Building that matrix makes it possible to see clearly which programs naturally align with the creative industries through partnerships with employers and which do not.
What matters most is the substance behind the profession. There is a cook, and then there is a cook with Michelin-level ambitions. The same principle applies throughout the creative economy. There has to be economic value, but there should also be emotional value. You can drink a cup of coffee quickly and leave, or you can enjoy that same cup while listening to beautiful music and come away with a meaningful experience.
That is why creative education should be built on a matrix of interdisciplinary learning. It should include opportunities to earn a second degree as well as pursue continuing education. The goal is a seamless educational pathway that begins in academic secondary schools and children's technology parks before continuing through vocational education and higher education.
