An analysis of student engagement in research activities in higher education institutions

In accordance with Presidential Decree No. 231 of 25 April 2022, the period between 2022 and 2031 has been designated as the "Decade of Science and Technology" in Russia. The primary objectives of this initiative are to attract talented young people to the field of research and development, to encourage researchers and developers to engage with the most pressing societal and national challenges. In terms of its share in the global number of scientific works (number of scientific publications, patents, dissertation defenses, etc.), Russia is significantly behind the world leaders, such as China and the USA. This has a detrimental effect on the socioeconomic development of the state as a whole. Consequently, a new approach to involving talented students in science, from the earliest stages of their academic careers, is extremely important to our country. The article examines the reasons for the low level of engagement of Russian university students in research activities. In the course of the study, the authors identified the main obstacles that prevent students from engaging in active and interesting research work in higher education. The results of the study identify the activities that contribute to increasing student engagement in research activities. The proposed activities have been formulated based on the opinions of engineering and humanities students who participated in the sociological survey, as well as on the basis of the best practices of involving students in research work in leading Chinese universities and reference universities in Russia.