The article addresses the problem of staffing of the Russian science and examines the issues pertaining to the training of research and pedagogical personnel at the PhD-programs in the light of forthcoming transition to a new model of doctoral studies (Federal Law №517-FZ of December 30, 2020). The authors assert that one of the reasons for a decrease in the number of professionals (particularly young ones) engaged in research and development in the Russian Federation is the underestimation of the role of PhD-programs in the continuous replenishment of human resources. The article assesses recent regulations and requirements containing approaches to the organization of research and pedagogical personnel training on doctoral programs that will be effective from March 2022, discusses the prospects for the doctoral education and the risks involved.

The article analyzes the main trends in the development of the scientific and pedagogical personnel training system in Russia and foreign countries. The main method of collecting empirical information is quantitative content analysis of the leading universities’ site content. The case selection is based on the QS (Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings – 2016 and 2020) – global university ranking (top 500). The selection of Russian universities has been carried out on the basis of the QS BRICS – 2016 and 2020 university ranking. Based on the results of the selection of the leading universities, 60 universities of North and Latin America, Russia, China, Europe, and Australia have been selected. The comparison criteria of higher education institutions are codified in the content analysis matrix. We compared the entry requirements, the content and organization of the doctoral studies, and the “exit” – the learning outcomes. The results of the research are the distinctive characteristics of the Russian teacher training doctoral programs and foreign doctoral programs EdD, EdLd, PhD in Education. It is revealed that foreign universities are characterized by an orientation to a variety of labor markets, differentiation of programs and career paths; studentoriented approach; flexible choice of learning formats; focus on the preparation of the author’s original research; close attention to the idea of the dissertation research, programs, scientific publications, dissertation text, multilevel assessment (program Manager, scientific consultant, elective teachers on the topic of the dissertation, the head of the postgraduate seminar, external experts); online learning; high quality of technical and informational environment. The characteristics of the Russian doctoral studies, which impede differentiation of the paths of dissertation preparation by doctoral students depending on the specifics of the scientific research area, limit the possibility of implementing the practical results of the dissertation and reduce the potential for professional growth of doctoral students.

The article presents the results of comparative analysis of universities’ activities over the past five years, which won the special grant in the “Research Leadership” track of the “Priority 2030” program. The comparison is carried out between the following groups of universities: 1) all universities of the “Research Leadership” track, 2) the first, second and third groups, selected according to the results of the competition, and 3) group of Project 5-100 participants. The state strategic initiatives in the field of the higher education system over the past 15 years were considered to determine their impact on the development of the considered groups of universities; the indicators that make significant contribution to the results of educational, research, international and financial activities of universities were selected. The aggregation of indicators for university groups has been carried out using the Displaced Ideal method and the comparative analysis for 2016 – 2020. The significant indicators of scientific and research activities of analyzed groups of universities for 2018 – 2020 were considered. Based on the analysis, the most significant factors of success have been identified that ensured the victory of the considered universities in the Priority 2030 competition on the “Research Leadership” track.

The article presents a sociological view on the current problems of the scientific and pedagogical community (SPC) of universities participating in the strategic academic leadership program «Priority-2030». The main attention is paid to the characteristics of the trends in the development of the SPC, its contradictions and the possibilities of overcoming them. A special place is given to the sociological analysis of university management as a factor of scientific productivity of the SPC. The interaction of the SPC and university management is considered in the context of the goals of the Priority- 2030 program. The necessity of developing and implementation new principles of human capital management of SPC into university practices is substantiated. Among them are a differentiated approach to assessing the scientific activity of individual groups of SPCs; flexible restructuring of the main types of their professional activities; ensuring the high status of SPCs demonstrating major scientific achievements; overcoming anomalies and imitations in the activities of SPCs. The empirical basis of the article is the results of interviews with representatives of the SPC, analysis of documents, statistical data reflecting the development of Russian higher education in the XXI century.

Unfavorable demographic trends give relevance to the search of possible directions for reducing the incidence rate, strengthening the health of citizens and increasing the life expectancy of the Russian population, which is one of the priority national tasks. The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly complicated the situation by increasing population decline and causing significant damage to its health. In this regard, the activation of health care resources is of particular importance, but no less important is the attitude of people themselves to their health, manifested in the way of life, various everyday practices of behavior.
The purpose of the article is to analyze, on the basis of sociological data, the dependence of the state of health of citizens, their lifestyle, various behavioral practices associated with saving and promoting health, on the presence of a high level of education. The empirical basis of the study was formed by the results of an all-Russian sociological survey conducted in 2021. The results obtained allow us to assess the potential of higher education in increasing the desire of citizens of modern Russia for self-preserving behavior and a healthy lifestyle.
The results of the study show that educational groups of different status have their own characteristics of propensity to various diseases, which, quite obviously, may be associated with the lifestyle of their representatives. According to the survey, people with higher education assess their health better, care more about it, express greater awareness of the factors that determine human health, interest in a healthy lifestyle, which is manifested in more active behavioral practices aimed at maintaining and strengthening own health.

Purpose: To quantify the opportunities and threats arising from the spontaneous expansion of distance learning in the wake of the pandemic and measures to counteract its spread.
Research methods: ex-pert analysis, fuzzy logic, comparative analysis.
Results and conclusions. The analysis of three groups of experts’ opinions: employers, university professors and students showed not-high values of revealed possibilities, connected with distance learning. Among them the average level of assessment reached: the increase of the level of computer literacy and the possibility of learning without disconnecting from the main activity in any geographical location. The latter opportunity is given more importance by employers than by teachers and students. Many threats of distance learning are evaluated as having a very high and high importance. The highest level of threat of reduction of the level of practical knowledge is marked by all expert groups. Almost the same level of significance was assigned by all expert groups to the negative impact of long-term computer use on students’ health. Opinions of expert groups differ with regard to other threats. Employers are the most cautious about them, they single out several other significant threats connected with the learning process – decrease of emotional component of the educational process and teachers’ lack of mastery of computer technologies which does not provide transfer of the necessary amount of information to students. Teachers and students assess these threats as less significant. The threats noted actualize the need to: strengthen the practical orientation of training in both distance and face-to-face format, expanding the competence of teaching staff in the field of computer technology, developing a system to counteract the negative impact of long-term use of computers on the health of students.

The article presents the results of a study about the features of pre-service teachers’ professional reflection. The average statistical results of the pre-service teachers who were the participants of the Olympiad “I am a professional” are considered in the context of students’ professional pedagogical reflection development. The research is based on the concept of three reflection functions: research, criticism and redesign, three types of reflection: prospective, situational, retrospective, the universal competences of a teacher: cognition skills, interaction skills, self skills. The study about the features of students’ professional reflection was carried out in 2021 during the period of the Olympiad “I am a professional” in the framework of three stages: planning/design, self-assessment/reflection, delayed group reflection. The sample included 261 students from universities in Moscow and other Russian regions, and 78 independent experts among acting school teachers. The methods of questioning (oral and written), content analysis, case studies, focus groups, video analysis, observation were used. As a result, the following features of students’ reflection were revealed, such as: the contradictory nature of goal-setting and the determination of the necessary conditions and means when planning a lesson; the tendency to overestimate their professional strengths and not notice insufficiently formed competencies; the tendency to give exaggerated importance to the technical aspects; misunderstanding of the professional pedagogical language against the background of an intuitively adequate understanding of many pedagogical and psychological phenomena, etc. From a practical point of view, the results obtained make it possible to identify the area of professional deficiencies of pre-service teachers and set the focus for a closer examination and more thorough extensive study of evaluative, critical and other complex thinking skills, which provide a thorough professional reflection. In this regard, reflective-analytical and reflective-design work formats become significant both in the educational process and in the practical training of pre-service teachers.

While the international environment remains characterized by the desire of states to strengthen their position, the literature has revealed a growing preference for soft power instruments over military intervention. Higher education has been repurposed as a tool to achieve foreign policy goals, with many states embracing the international norm on world-class universities in an attempt to improve their international competitiveness and their image abroad. This paper considers the soft power conversion model of higher education and attempts to determine its effectiveness through a case study devoted to Russian Higher Education. A survey of foreign students starting their studies and of another finishing their studies in three leading Russian universities reveals that receiving a higher education in Russia may contribute to aligning students’ positions with the Russian perspective on international issues diffused in these universities as was confirmed by surveying a control group of Russian students. These preliminary findings suggest that the benefits of internationalizing national higher education systems are not just reserved to the norm initiators (US, UK) but extend to second wave norm adopters (Russia, China).

The sphere of postgraduate studies is the most governance reform-sensitive element of high school educational system in Russia.
The article focuses on the governmental decisions taken to address difficulties in high school modernization sphere. The article posits that the mainstream modernization vector of educational system connected with the upgraded scientific and pedagogical personnel education is performed in accordance with transformational process set forth in Bologna declaration signed by the Russian Federation. The Covid-19 pandemic challenged the postgraduate reform results in Russia. The article provides a thorough and discourse analysis of scientific publications, expert interviews and normative documents. The study concludes that the set of fundamental approaches to further Russian system of postgraduate studies is currently semi-functional.
Current reforms seek to overcome a destructive impact of the current postgraduate studies system.

The article analyzes the problem of higher education teachers’ digital competence formation in relation to the university academic development. In the system of academic development, a higher education teacher becomes an active subject and an object of influence of the university structures.
The notion of “academic capital” – a system of professional competencies of a teacher, in whose structure digital competencies acquire special importance, is introduced to assess the effectiveness of academic development.
It is assumed that depending on the attitudes towards the development and integration of digital competencies into professional practices, teachers are divided into different categories according to their role in the academic development.
In order to test the hypothesis, focus group research was carried out with teachers of the humanities, social and natural sciences from universities in different regions of Russia with at least three years of professional experience. A total of five focus groups of seven teachers in each were conducted.
In the context of academic development, digital educational practices were analyzed, and three types of agents were identified – innovators and promoters, who contribute to the academic development of the higher education institutions, and routiners, who slow down the introduction of digital technologies. It is concluded that a possible barrier to the innovative activities for teachers is an ambiguous attitude towards the process of digitalization of the education sector.