Digital Economy and Digital Logistics as New Area of Study in Higher Education

Among innovative e-learning approaches in the sphere of digital economy and logistics, there is a special focus on artificial intelligence technologies (AI), which, due to their capacity and efficiency in usage, have a significant potential for the development and to some extent are optimal IT tools. The objective of a study is to define an optimum IT software for the organization of massive open online courses (MOOC) in digital economy and digital logistics in the framework of training economics students. Authors have conducted a survey in terms of Internet use for education and self-education. The sampling volume makes up 1 600 respondents in at least 80 regions of the Russian Federation. The respondents are divided into four age groups: 18-24 years old, 25-39 years old, 40-54 years old, 55 years old and older. The study uses data from the survey conducted by KMDA.PRO related to digital transformation of 700 representatives from more than 300 Russian companies out of 15 industries and the results of in-depth interviews of four categories of employees: top managers, heads of units, mid-level managers and other employees. The study results testify to the need for transforming e-learning approaches, taking into account the new labor market requirements for training specialists in digital logistics and gaining respective skills such as an active training, coordination, negotiation skills, teaching others, information literacy, customer focus, oral communication, ability to solve complex issues, operational literacy, time management. The use of the research results in practice is possible in case of the organization of online training courses for economics students in the framework of the higher educational system.