ISSN (Print) : 0974-6846

Indian Journal of Science and Technology, Vol 9(48), DOI: 10.17485/ijst/2016/v9i48/96455, December 2016 ISSN (Online) : 0974-5645

Trends and Benchmarks of Higher Education

in the area of Techno Science Progress
Ekaterina Nikolaevna Gnatik*
Peoples’ Friendship university of Russia, Russian Federation, Moscow; [email protected]

Abstract
The development of science creates new possibilities, new realities (virtualization of the world, its nano and bio
technification and etc.), placing for the mankind the necessity of understanding of complex issues: issues of science,
technology, human issues, the meaning of its reforming activities. Convergent evolution of NBICS-technology (information,
biological, nanotechnology, cognitive science, and social and humanitarian studies) marks the beginning of a new stage of
integration of scientific knowledge, that overcome the boundaries between its classic sections, new objects of knowledge
and activity are formed entirely, including physical, biological, chemical, technical, psychological and socio-cultural
components. Education is a powerful tool for the maintenance of humane and sustainable society. It must, above all, remain
the core of the cultural life of the community, with its traditions and enduring values, educational experience. At the same
time, education should match the pace of changes in society, to seek ways of designing the new system of links with various
fields of activity. This indicates the actualization of communication problems as the formation of the current development
of science and technology, and with the civilization and cultural values. Especially, education creates prospects for the
spiritual development of man. Thus, the goals, objectives and requirements for the quality of higher education to a great
extent, determine the strategy and guidelines for the development of both separate countries and humanity as a whole. We
are talking not just about the interdisciplinary, but on transdisciplinary integration. There area necessity and timeliness of
conceptual modernization of education, which, according to the authors, is the call of the times, the need to walk with it in
the leg, focusing on the reliable moral compass.

Keywords: Conceptual Modernization, Higher Education, Innovation, NBICS-Technology, Techno Science.

1. Introduction its future qualitatively different sound. At the current

stage of development of knowledge there is a process of
The fundamental transformation that took place in mutual penetration, intertwining science and technology,
the world over the past three decades clearly actualizes generated by it, accompanied by a radical transformation
the issue of education as a connection with the current of their relationship. Techno science is a new specific
development of science and technology, and with the sphere of scientific and technological activities - is in the
civilization and cultural values. The education, that creates process of creating it`s special, new way of thinking and
prospects for the spiritual development of man. In this practice, in which scientific work increasingly becomes
regard, it must be emphasized that the goals, objectives a landmark for the creation and promotion of new
and requirements for the quality of higher education in technologies. The process of becoming of a new cluster
the era of progress in techno science crucially determine is picking up speed, it combines information technology,
the strategy and guidelines for the development of both biotechnology, nanotechnology and cognitive science.1
separate countries and humanity as a whole. The third Apparently, we are witnessing the onset of radically new
millennium brings new technological possibilities, marked stage of scientific and technological progress, which has
by a deep environmental crisis, human crisis. Science has no historical analogues in terms of impact on human
been able to actively transform the physicality of man civilization2. Experts predict a significant empowerment
and thus make the problem of identity, its perfection and of medicine and public health, the decision to run such

* Author for correspondence

 Trends and Benchmarks of Higher Education in the area of Techno Science Progress

important issues as the search for new sources of energy, fantastic, if not taking in account their actual (or possible
the prevention of environmental degradation, global in principle) exist. Developments of analog devices for the
pandemics and climate disasters, reducing the risks and neural systems, cognitive robots, and neural computers
threats, posed by continuing technological development, are the implementation in real mechanism of the
and others. Focus on the solution of such ambitious wildest fantasies of Hollywood screenwriters. Messages
targets makes today at the time of the fateful choice, as showing the principal possibility of cybernization, i.e. the
there are many real and hypothetical factors, hazardous introduction into the human body and "connection" to
development of mankind.3 An urgent task at present the nervous system of artificial body parts and organs,
is to establish realistic limits on the use of scientific flooded the scientific literature.5 Neural implants,
and technical capabilities of nano, bio and cognitive bioelectronic devices, psychotropic substances have
technology. Moreover, such decisions should be fully the potential to change both physical and cognitive
suspended, and any objections to the scientific progress parameters of the person, to promote his intelligent,
should take into account the undeniable fact of its positive morphological and functional transformation. To some
outlook. extent these aim of such developments is to find ways to
improve, to develop our lives. However, there is almost
no doubt, that the results of technology will be used in
2. Discussion the management of human behavior. Moreover, it seems,
In recent decades there has been made a very significant it is not only and not so much about the manipulation
transformation of philosophical ideas about human of consciousness, as a subordinate commands control
nature. "Under the "human nature" they usually refer center (via implants, etc.). Huge funds, allocated by the
complex-resistant properties of the social individual, government for the establishment and operation of
invariant with respect to various historical epochs, ethnic research laboratories, which develop the most incredible
groups, social and state structure, indicating that the projects. According to publicly available information,
biological determinism of the organization (i.e. genetic the leader among these super-labs is a defense enterprise
factors). They are shaped and influenced by the range DARPA - Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
of external conditions, especially in the early stages of the United States Projects. Since its inception (1958),
of ontogenesis with the indispensable participation of this company has created more than one revolutionary
genetic factors. Taken individually and in combination, technology (the most famous, perhaps - the Internet and
these properties are relevant to the needs, abilities, airplanes "stealth"). Today, in the walls of the DARPA are
and aptitudes, characteristics of communication, self- developed military technology, which can then be used
regulation behavior and human activities. They were the for other purposes: synthetic blood, bullets, laser-guided
subject of descriptions and reflections for philosophers, robots, moving and balancing like animals, cybernetic
historians and writers since ancient times."4 To a large insects as invisible explorers and more.
extent the change of earlier views on a human nature were In 2012, a set up similar to the American DARPA
determined by the avalanche number of innovations in prototype came up in Russia, called the Foundation for
the field of natural science and medicine. The notion of Advanced Studies. One of the vectors of the activities
"calling the new man" does not look so fantastic today, of the fund is the development of the foundations of
as before. The development of modern research and medical technology to provide managed hypo biotical
NBIC-developments carries the metaphysical, existential states of a human. This line of research is an integral part
problems in a particular application plane: it is about the of the general problem to be solved in the framework
expansion of the physical, psychological and intellectual of the mega-project "Defender of the Future" - namely,
capacities of man (in a number of research programs, this to increase the combat capability of the military in
goal is well formulated). Moreover, many experts believe extreme conditions and their resistance to damaging
that it is the implementation of eugenic ideas - creation of factors of different nature. Project goal is to learn how
a "superman" by the "expansion" of modern man, and is to adjust the "human biological time" (i.e., a reversible
the main objective of all technological operations, while slow down all the basic processes of life). It was found
everything else is just a "cover operation." that in a state of hibernation dramatically increases the
Description of new technologies looks absolutely body's resistance to extreme influences. The examples of

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 Ekaterina Nikolaevna Gnatik

a natural hibernation are a sleep of individual species of (its "holiness", "awe" in front of its attitude to it "as an end
mammals, lethargy, induced coma, some yoga practices. rather than as a means of " prohibition and condemnation
The main criterion for hibernation is a sharp decrease of the murder and etc.).
in oxygen consumption, entailing a decrease in body In such circumstances, the desire for the approval of
temperature, slower metabolism, decrease in the activity attitude, the central ideas of which are the ideas of value
of the central nervous system and muscle activity. What and significance of life, the unity of man and nature, is
will the application of this and other technologies is still faced with serious difficulties. Dynamic transformation
everyone's guess. of society, the creation of new technologies and the
Perhaps, the discovery, awaiting researchers in creation of a common information space led to a serious
the way of "human expansion", considerably multiply socio-cultural changes, blurring and distortion of social
the possibilities of science, to push the boundaries of norms and values, aggravation of contradictions between
human creativity, will allow scientists to realize the most traditional and modern stereotypes of behavior, gender
ambitious plans. However, we need a clear understanding, and intergenerational conflict, the individualization of
that nanotechnology and cognitive technologies open models and styles of life. Humanity is more acute senses
new perspectives of "denaturalization" of the human its dangers in areas: ranging from the material production
body. For example, the construction of anthropomorphic to the spiritual. The events of recent decades, taking place
robots can lead to the disappearance of the differences in various spheres of our life, testify to the evidence of the
between the thinking being, endowed with mind and free fact, that the ideology of the era of Art Nouveau, which
will, and rigidly programmed artificial system. allowed man for centuries to increase their brain power
Overcoming the fundamental limits of human and material and technical base, increasing domination of
capabilities will inevitably lead to a transformation of the nature, at the present stage has exhausted itself for many
quality of social life. For example, the possibility of neural parameters. However, while the international community
interface and artificial intelligence can put a significant keeps up the pace of movement for technological ways to
modification of the process of human communication, the generate new and more serious problems, which solution
nature of family relations and relative links. The advent of in the framework of this paradigm of social development
nano robots can substantially reduce the need for physical is not possible.
labor, and therefore, may be called into question the In this connection, it is impossible to exclude, that
essence of ancestral rights, relating to its manufacturing technological possibilities, disclosed in the course
and supplementary active merits. A separate, very difficult of NBIC-convergence, can cause serious ideological,
and controversial problem is the long-term period of cultural and social upheaval. It is necessary to realize,
biological aging and changing the "code of death." The that self-transformation is equivalent to human self-
use of cellular and other biotechnologies in the field of transformation of society, because all known basic social
cosmetology has served as a powerful impetus to the structures and functions were determined by the nature
rapid growth in our society, the so-called "syndrome of of man, they are manifested in a social institution, as a
Dorian Gray" - the cult of youth, fear of physical aging state with its functions of organizing and coercion. Nano
and fading. The list of problems could be prolonged and bio technologized environment of artifacts threatens
further and further. to drastically change the usual way of being human in the
In addition, in light of recent studies, increasingly world.
leveled, already shaken by the introduction of the practice To avoid this scenario, it appears that the technocratic
of biotechnology, usual distinction between living and paradigm must be subordinated to the paradigm of
nonliving. The development of convergent technologies humanitarian-related ethical imperatives, but also
threatens to erase that line. The continued blurring of the with high responsibility of scientists and education
boundaries between life and non-life inevitably leads to authorities for application of knowledge and technology.
a deformation of understanding of the phenomenon of In our opinion, the scientific progress associated with the
life and attitude to it. After all, if there is nothing "clearly development of technical and technological systems and
alive", then disappear and the basic traditional values, objects, involves changes in the conceptual foundations of
associated with attitude. Representation of the absolute the development of technical knowledge.6 There is a need
intrinsic value of life is modified, quivering attitude to it of the general theory of technical knowledge, focused on

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 Trends and Benchmarks of Higher Education in the area of Techno Science Progress

identifying the best ways to combine natural and artificial, scientific rationality. Mastering basic science contributes
natural and manmade. Such theory must take into account to the design of a special type of consciousness, which is
the possible negative effects of scientific and technological to be laid in the basis of goal-oriented rational activity.
activities for humans and the biosphere as well as provide In our view, so necessary in modern conditions is
them with prevention. There may be indispensable results build-up of intellectual and cultural potential of the nation
of current research in the field of synergy. Synergistic requires consolidation of national education, as a social
knowledge gives an idea of the importance of the impact institution for the development of spirituality, stimulating
of "the right time and in the right place," interaction "at cultural creativity of the individual, the creation of
the right time," draws attention to the subtlety of the themselves in the culture and awareness of the world of
mechanisms of interaction with the environment, as well culture in itself. There is no doubt, that in the process
as a certain proportion of the unpredictability of when of formation of valuable orientations determining role
human attempts to control the growth and development should belong to the humanities. In modern conditions
of complex systems. the problem of the integrity of the human perception of
Education is a powerful tool for the maintenance of the phenomena of life is becoming particularly urgent.
humane and sustainable society. Certainly, education Largely due to the acquisition of knowledge in the field
should match the pace of changes in society, to design the of philosophy, young people gain the ability to reflect,
new system due to the various spheres of activity. However, analyze, compare, correlate alternatives, to generalize, i.e.
it should be borne in mind that education should remain master the principles of creative thinking. 9It was under the
in the core of the cultural life of the community, with auspices of the philosophy of the process of bridging the
its traditions and enduring values, teaching experience gap between the "two cultures." Philosophical orientation
and aspirations in education and retention of its human (ideological, cognitive, axiological and praxeological)
element. should be laid in the foundation of educational programs
The achievements of techno science cannot be in various fields, promoting the formation of young people
reflected in the educational process.7 The specifics of the of all professions to active and creative thinking, based on
development of modern society and the fundamental knowledge of the laws of the interaction of man, society
changes in the world of science in the last two or three and nature. Without general humanitarian training there
decades dictate the need for new approaches in education cannot be creative approach, which is cultivated in the
and cultural policy.8 Modernization of education today is minds of human by higher education.
the call of the times, the need to march in step with it, This philosophy allows to make a comprehensive
focusing on the reliable moral compass. assessment of the current state of science and to identify
Education is the source of culture, forming a modern the main directions of its development. At the beginning
direction of motion of society. However, this particular of the XXI century improving of the status of philosophy is
sphere concerned with providing key national interests. updated in the hierarchy of modern scientific knowledge,
The quality of the education system is the cornerstone of bringing it a required humanistic element in the dynamics
national prosperity. Russian universities have traditionally of the natural sciences in order not to let science fall
been the temple of science, as well as sources of innovative into scientism. The study of the history of philosophy,
ideas and the formation of a special system of values the philosophy of different cultures aimed at building
- love of knowledge, commitment to truth, a sense of intercultural understanding and tolerance, to build
justice, honor and dignity. This means the development active citizenship, based on a sense of belonging to the
and improvement of humanitarian education, with solution of the problems of civilization. The presentation
special focus on cultural studies, literature, history and of concepts of modern science and philosophical
other disciplines, contributing to the formation of their problems of science and technology should contribute to
own thinking, creativity, spiritual development (and, as the formation of a unified scientific view of the world, a
a consequence - patriotic) personality. It also implies holistic worldview, so necessary today for young people
support for basic training, the development of fundamental ability to analyze a variety of problems and predict the
science and interdisciplinary research. The basis for the consequences of scientific and technical and other human
formation of human thinking in the learning process is activities, to create a way of controlling the development

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 Ekaterina Nikolaevna Gnatik

of these or other technologies. An important point is, that defended the infallibility of the idea: after all, who and
the knowledge must be a "reportage from the front edge how will judge the correctness of the doctrine of the way
of science." to the happiness of mankind, if it will bear fruit only in
Russia, like as any other state, needs specialists, the hazy beyond.
who can make effective decisions in today's dynamic "Bright Future" and today serves as the cherished
environment. At the current stage of development of aim of the ideologists of programs, relating to the
society, characterized by a permanent increase in the fundamental transformation of the biological nature of
number of information flows and increased their intensity, man. Where scientific predictions are closely intertwined
particular significance of a person's ability to navigate in the with the extra-scientific speculation and utopian projects,
abundance of existing information. This is especially true that once again brought to life numerous options "homo
today, when there is a set of aggressive, highly hazardous technology" and "homo engineering", genetic engineering
(such as social, human and natural sciences generated, "fabricated superman", among which the most enduring
techno science) technology to manipulate man. Mastery idea is to launch a "new man" with the help of science
of scientific thinking is to some extent contribute to the (genetics). It is eugenics. As you know, throughout the
displacement imposed nowadays mass culture "mosaic" history of mankind was repeatedly carried out testing
consciousness and the formation of consciousness, able to of eugenic ideas into practice. A new and very powerful
distinguish between rational and irrational-mystical. This impetus to the old eugenic utopia gave a sharp tug in
will reduce suggestive dependence. A person with such molecular biology, carried out at the turn of XX - XXI
consciousness can think independently, critically, relying centuries. In this regard, it is apparent that the reflection
on logic, empirically based statements and concepts. on the bases of myth-making, the creation of a unified
In this regard, is updated the need to give a special theory of the myth, revealing the methods, techniques
attention to the philosophy of mythology. It is the and conditions of mythological activity is an important
oldest and most important component of the system of and necessary step towards the process of formation of
philosophical knowledge, along with the philosophy of the young people of rational scientific thinking.
law, philosophy of ethics, philosophy of religion, history, We emphasize once again, that the conditions
etc. are located on the border of philosophy, and non- that allow a person to choose a strategy and tactics for
philosophical forms of spiritual knowledge of the world. further development, the importance of philosophical
The fact that the mythological inherent in human nature, knowledge and philosophical formation is greatly
in the layers of his spirituality. Therefore, the myth has increased. Humanistic orientation of research and
always been a very important cultural factor, significant practical application of the results is aimed at excluding
spiritual means, which can be directed to both the manipulative approach to the person, to respect for
humanization of society and to its dehumanization. human freedom and uniqueness. This problem is
Social mythology has extremely different faces. unsolvable without philosophical reflection, necessary
Very dangerous are the consequences of operating with for the formation of an adequate educational concept.
myths about a "bright future." The idea for centuries has Such society needs the ability from its members to make
repeatedly served as a base for all sorts of reform initiatives. responsible decisions; it requires a certain behavior
At the same time, a consistent pattern was observed: The skills, the psychological basis of which is a certain style
salvation "of humanity as a whole" required, as a rule, very of thinking, a high level of culture. This means that in
cruel dealing with individual specific person. Abstract the process, education is of particular importance not
speculative scheme, over lapping reality, requires from just a transfer of accumulated knowledge, but education
real life, with all its depth and complexity, subordination. of moral qualities, internal culture, the formation of a
And since this is impossible, a utopia demonstrates its creative approach, the needs of continuous improvement.
unsightly and sometimes terrifying visage. At the same In our opinion, the current expansion of the scientist,
time the magnitude of the problem, its scope in time and technocratic consciousness, including those expressed in
space, on the one hand, serves as a kind of justification the ideology of trans humanism, welcoming the advent of
for separation from reality and neglecting the present. "post human" and ready to displace, destroy "familiar to
On the other hand, they are zealous and even aggressively us man", his moral and aesthetic ideals, to replace them

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 Trends and Benchmarks of Higher Education in the area of Techno Science Progress

with something "more advanced and perfect "does not 3. Conclusion

cause any sympathy. The big danger of new technology
lies in the fact, that they are able to create a new reality, the In conclusion, we emphasize, that we believe that the
laws of which and the existence of laws of which are very improvement of human progress in the era of high-tech
different from all of what people dealt so far. Spontaneously should be made mostly in old-fashioned way - as a part of
creating a new reality, a man cannot take into account all its upbringing and education. Of course, the foundation
the possible consequences, and new created reality begins of education and the overall functioning of modern social
to "live its own life." This world is poorly discovered, it organism provide the basic science and only it alone.
contains a lot of mysteries and dangers, the ways in which However, equally important is the role of the humanities.
it should move are poorly lit and practically invisible. In That philosophy in many ways forms the worldview, values
view of these circumstances, the scientific community must of young people. The development of science creates
systematically, comprehensively and professionally study new possibilities, new realities (for example, today it is
the problems, prospects and potential dangers of using virtualization of the world, its nano and biotechnification
science and technology to overcome the fundamental and etc.), present the philosophy with the necessity of
limits of human possibilities. 10It is necessary today, that understanding of complex issues. The ignorance of the
science is not targeted to both indirect and hidden, and the importance of philosophical reflection can be costly for
direct and immediate development of the most inhuman the human community.
scientific means, so called, science-based violence on the
body and spirit of man. Cultural improvement of human
civilization and sustainable development will only be
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