IMPLEMENTATION OF BIG DATA ANALYTICS INTO ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

The article proposed by the authors presents a set of arguments in favor of intensifying efforts aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of economic management methods in higher education institutions through the use of big data analytics. Among these arguments is the need to overcome the gap that has emerged between the educational sector and the real economy, including the shipbuilding industry in particular. It is emphasized that this potential remains largely untapped in most higher education institutions, even though fragmented examples of digital tool adoption already constitute part of current practice—albeit confined to the operational activities of certain structural units. The article outlines the range of opportunities made available to innovators by contemporary software developers. It systematizes a mix of directions for applying big data analytics in the management of educational institutions, specifically in relation to academic processes and administrative functions. A conceptual logic for developing a management system model based on big data analytics is proposed, along with the fundamental principles upon which such a system should be built in order to meet the defined objectives. These principles include a sequential transition from descriptive and diagnostic analytics toward predictive and, ultimately, scenario-based analytics. The mission of scenario-based analytics is to outline plausible strategic pathways for further development within the highly competitive market of educational services and to identify the optimal course of action. The article characterizes the key components of such a system and reflects the authors’ vision of its overarching aim: strengthening the validity, timeliness, and coherence of managerial decisions through the use of big data analytics. Additionally, the authors identify several constraints whose observance is essential, as they ensure the development of a framework capable of serving as a reliable means for supporting, substantiating, and verifying decisions adopted at the highest levels of university management—without excessive reliance on intuition, subjective expert judgment, or the risky drift toward voluntarism, examples of which, regrettably, are not uncommon.