Managing Digital Transformation of an Urban University: Methodological Foundations and Managerial Practices

This article substantiates the application of innovative practices in developing a digital transformation strategy for an urban university. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu's field theory, concepts of fractal and rhizomatic structures (H.-J. Warnecke; G. Deleuze, F. Guattari), and design thinking methodology, the university's digital environment is conceptualized as a multilayered system of self-similar "fragments." The study identifies features of the self-similar structure of the university's social space at a theoretical level and provides an empirical analysis of the digital experience of the Moscow Metropolitan Governance Yuri Luzhkov Univesity. Critical discourse analysis, user journey mapping, and empathy maps were employed to gather empirical data. Four categories of "pain points" were identified (infrastructural, interface-related, institutional, and behavioral), along with five distinct user personas. A modular, role-sensitive architecture for the digital campus is proposed, enabling local solutions to be scaled without loss of context. Based on hypotheses linking self-similarity (fractality), user-centricity, and design thinking tools, methods for developing the university's digital environment are suggested. The findings contribute to domestic research on client-centricity and change management in higher education and are aimed at university administrators responsible for digital development.