Current Approaches to the Study of Graduate Communities in Modern Scientific Discourse: Posing a Question

Abstract

Technologies of post–academic work with graduates of educational institutions have been the subject of research in the scientific community for a relatively long time, both in relation to foreign research and recent domestic developments. This is due to transformations in the educational system in Russia within a short period, by historical standards. The Soviet experience of working with graduates (especially foreign citizens) was left out of scientific discussions due to a new competitive internal education environment, forcing universities to find new strategies to attract students and use graduate communities for this purposes. The purpose of the article is to identify scientific approaches to the study of graduate communities, identify their interests, and characterize the prospects for approaches for practical work. The article focuses on pragmatic and value aspects of graduates’ interaction with the university: the search for motivation to become a member of the university community, the values of belonging to this community and the potential for graduates in bilateral interstate relations. According to the results of the study, it was concluded that the internal economic aspects of educational activities play a dominant role in scientific discourse, including attracting new applicants, attracting business partners and employing graduates. The foreign policy interests in working with graduates have just begun to be analyzed by international political scientists and sociologists, and the experience of working with foreign citizens educated in other countries can serve as a basis for creating a strategy for interacting with foreign graduates.