The value foundations of the university corporate culture in commemorative practices of Russian higher education institutions

The current trends of globalization and transformation in higher education have created an increasing need for a strong corporate culture, as well as robust visual (brand) and personal (educational actors) identities within modern universities. In this context, it is becoming increasingly important to identify and implement mechanisms for reproducing, transforming, and transmitting the value foundations of university culture, especially through commemorative practices. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between the value foundations of a university's corporate culture and its commemorative practices, as well as to determine their role in shaping corporate identity. The study employs qualitative methods, including case studies on how Russian universities implement commemorative practices and an online survey conducted among students at Industrial University of Tyumen. The findings of the study indicate that commemorative practices reflect a set of selected core values that are integral to the university’s corporate culture. These values are not static; they result from selective interpretation and are constructed through qualitative analysis. The study also demonstrates that the impact of commemorative practices on students' value orientations varies, with perceptions influenced by the respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics. The scientific novelty of the study lies in empirically demonstrating the connection between commemorative practices and the value foundations of university corporate culture. The practical significance of the findings lies in their potential use as a toolkit for enhancing memorial strategies and commemorative practices in modern universities, which can strengthen the corporate identity of students, faculty, and administrative staff.