ESSENCE AND FEATURES OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

The article examines the theoretical foundations of the digital transformation of higher education institutions within the broader context of the developing digital economy. It reveals the essential nature of the concept of «digital transformation» and identifies its distinguishing characteristics across organizational settings. The study outlines the key factors shaping organizational transformation processes and substantiates the specific features and systemic challenges inherent to higher education institutions. Furthermore, existing scholarly approaches to identifying the structural components of digital transformation in academia are critically analyzed, demonstrating that current models fail to provide a comprehensive, holistic vision of this complex process. Based on this critique, the study proposes nine interrelated components of higher education digital transformation: digital strategy; digital infrastructure and digital educational environment; digitalization of educational activities; digitalization of scientific and research activities; digital transformation of the management system; data management; digital competencies of educational process participants; information security and cybersecurity; and digital culture alongside organizational change management. In addition, the study introduces a structural framework for implementing digital transformation, which reflects the interconnections among core components and highlights digital technologies and data as foundational drivers of institutional modernization. It is substantiated that comprehensive digital transformation serves as the fundamental basis for establishing a «digital university» as a new evolutionary stage of higher education development in the digital economy. The findings provide a theoretical foundation for designing institutional transformation strategies and advancing the concept of a digital university.