Founder and first curator of moscow university I.M. Shuvalov on the formation of a managerial elit

Abstract

The formation of a qualitatively new managerial elite became one of the key directions in the transformation of the Russian public administration system in the 18th century. A key role in this process, in relation to the second half of the century, was played by the creator and first curator of Moscow University, Count I. I. Shuvalov. The purpose of this article is to identify and systematize conceptual approaches to the process of improving the education of the country’s managerial elite, proposed by I.I. Shuvalov in the process of his managerial activities. The basic method for implementing this task is to analyze texts written by Shuvalov. This analysis was carried out using methods of documentary, system and semantic analysis. The main result of the analysis was an understanding of the place and role of Shuvalov in the process of transforming the system of training the country's managerial elite. I.I. Shuvalov outlined all the shortcomings of the old system of training the nobility, which, by the middle of the 18th century, had become archaic. He highlighted two key problems of the education system in force at that time: weak motivation to study and the lack of social elevators. At different stages of his activity, as the founder and first curator of Moscow University, he proposed measures to improve the education system. Some of Shuvalov's proposals were implemented and justified themselves. The other part of the measures he proposed was not implemented in the 18th century. In the next century, transformations similar in spirit to Shuvalov’s proposals were carried out.