Modern higher education is increasingly focused on training not only qualified specialists, but also socially responsible citizens who are able to actively participate in solving social problems. In this regard, there is an increasing interest in approaches that stimulate the development of prosocial attitudes and behavior among students. One of these promising areas is service learning», which combines academic learning with real-world activities aimed at benefiting society. In Russian practice, this approach is undergoing a stage of active development, which necessitates its comprehensive study and adaptation to domestic social and educational realities.

The relevance of the research is due to the increasing demand from society for university graduates with not only professional knowledge, but also developed prosocial qualities such as empathy, leadership, and the ability to communicate effectively. In the context of global challenges and social problems, the formation of an active civic position and readiness for constructive interaction among young people is becoming especially important.

The academic novelty of the research lies in the empirical substantiation of the influence of the “Service Learning” approach on the formation of prosocial attitudes and behavior of students in Russian universities. For the first time, a large-scale (n=1745) study was conducted, which makes it possible to evaluate not only students’ ideas about the social significance of their future profession, but also the development of personal qualities in demand in prosocial activities. The specific mechanisms and factors contributing to the formation of prosocial attitudes and behavior of students in the framework of the implementation of Service-Learning projects have been identified.

The article contributes to the development of academic discussion on the formation of prosocial attitudes and behavior in higher education by offering empirical evidence substantiating the effectiveness of the “Service-Learning” approach and its impact on the development of relevant qualities in students. The results of the study make it possible to expand the theoretical understanding of this approach and develop practical recommendations for its effective implementation in Russian universities. The article also stimulates further research in the field of prosocial behavior and the search for effective methods of its formation in the higher education system.

The subject of this work is the study of the problem of conjugation of higher education and the labor sphere using various algorithms of normative and methodological description of the structure of qualification of a graduate of higher education (hereinafter referred to as academic qualification) and the qualification of a working specialist (hereinafter referred to as professional qualification). It is shown that the imperative of readiness of a graduate of higher education immediately after receiving a diploma of higher education to comply with the labor market, that is, the requirements of the employer, as well as the goals of the company or enterprise with the existing organization of the educational process is largely an ephemeral construction. A new algorithm is proposed and the degree of expediency of using the concept of “competence” in the interface of the system of higher education and the labor sphere is revealed. It is confirmed that its use in the educational context with the existing organization of the educational process creates additional difficulties in solving the problem under consideration.

The issues of effective interaction between Russian universities and universities of the BRICS countries are becoming increasingly important in practice and science today. Cooperation in education and science is one of the main areas of partnership announced at the BRICS forum. Including the maximum number of Russian universities in such a partnership will not only significantly increase the export of educational services, but will also lead to strategically important scientific results and the development of innovations through joint research. Hence the need to find effective forms and organizational solutions for educational collaboration for Russian universities.

The purpose of this study is to present real and potential forms of collaboration between Russian universities and BRICS universities and to identify the actual results of their implementation using the example of the top ten Russian universities in the BRICS university ranking.

The article presents the results of the study of the international activities of the universities in question based on self-study data and analysis of the content of the websites of these universities. The forms of cooperation between universities in the areas of educational, scientific and innovative activities, as well as within the framework of cultural and humanitarian cooperation programs, are identified and shown using examples. The article presents organizational solutions for the formation of educational collaborations: Network University, alliances formed as a result of agreements on interaction between two universities – Russian and a BRICS member country, consortiums uniting several universities to implement a specific project, as well as associations. The paper proposes the use of university co-opetition, in which universities join forces to achieve common goals while maintaining their competitive positions. This approach allows universities to pool resources, share expertise, and implement large-scale projects that would be difficult or impossible to implement alone. A case of collaboration between universities and businesses is presented using the example of Russia and Kazakhstan with the aim of transforming universities into entrepreneurial universities, and the possibility of using a similar model in interaction with universities in the BRICS countries is shown.

An algorithm for forming a strategy for interaction between regional educational organizations and partner companies has been developed, and it has been shown that a modern strategy for developing international activities of a university can be based on solving the problems of large companies – industry leaders through university interaction.

The study examines the effects of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research grant programme for doctoral students. It analyses the impact of the programme, implemented in 2019–2020, designed to support dissertation research among doctoral candidates. The study investigates the effects of receiving a grant on doctoral students’ outcomes and scientific productivity, specifically their successful thesis defense and publication activity. A quasi-experimental design is employed, utilizing Propensity Score Matching (number of students in the experimental group N = 1 073). The results demonstrate that receiving a grant significantly increases the likelihood of successful thesis defense – grant recipients are 70% more likely to defend successfully compared to non-recipients, all other things being equal. Grant recipients are also more likely to complete their dissertations within the standard timeframe. Furthermore, receiving a grant positively influences doctoral students’ publication activity. The effect of the grant does not differ based on the gender or the type of institution. These findings underscore the importance of financial support for successful dissertation completion and encourage further research into the mechanisms by which various forms of financial support influence doctoral students’ outcomes, as well as comparative studies on the effectiveness of grants versus other forms of support.

The parent family, through comprehensive support, plays a significant role in providing conditions for the academic success of students, and in cases of unfavorable family relationships it creates risks for educational activities. The purpose of the investigation is to study the influence of parents on university students’ ideas about their academic success, since the educational process can be assessed by students in terms of a subjective understanding of its effectiveness depending on the values of the family environment. The research methods were a a semi-structured interview and conversation with students as part of psychological counseling on life-meaning problems. The sample consisted of 47 full-time students of various areas of training (bachelor degree and specialty) aged 19 to 23 years, of which 21 were male and 26 were female. It has been established that students whose parents demonstrate such types of participation as “tyrants” and “restless” are more likely to turn to a psychologist with requests for problems with their studies (subjective and objective). Achievement of objective indicators of academic success can be presented by students ambiguously, uncritically, situationally, which indicates the difficulties of becoming a value-semantic, emotional-volitional and communicative sides of the personality. Despite the fact that most students are adults, the influence of the parent family on their academic success remains significant, which must be taken into account in the activities of the psychological service of the university, especially when identifying parents who are “tyrants”. An important part of working with students is goal-setting training in the interests of the educational process and further career, exercises for the development of reflection “What did I do best last semester?”. Psychology teachers are recommended to include in the programs of disciplines a training topic on opportunities and risks in the personal and educational-professional spheres, methods of forming favorable relationships in the parent family and readiness to create their own.

Modern threats are shifting the focus of information security from the technical component to the social context to a greater extent. In the process of cyber defense training, a number of the most pressing challenges can be identified, involving the use of more effective methods of training future specialists. This study answers the question about the possibilities of storytelling in teaching cybersecurity, about the ability of emotional stories to influence the increase of motivational and value involvement of students and teachers, to form an interdisciplinary approach and understanding of complex cause-and-effect relationships within various subject areas, to help students overcome the lack of professional “awareness” in the field of vulnerabilities and possible potential attack vectors.. The study was conducted from October 1 to October 31, 2024. at the Tyumen State University School of Computer Science as part of the elective courses “Fundamentals of Cybersecurity” and “Introduction to Pentesting (Cybersecurity)”. The results of the study showed that the use of storytelling makes it possible to solve the problem of emotional and value involvement, achieve a deeper impression and understanding of educational topics, and develop the ability to empathize with victims of cybercrime. The long-term effects of storytelling should also be noted. Further research may be related to the algorithmization of the story writing process, the study of the differences between oral and written presentation, the study of techniques to increase emotional engagement, the use of various storytelling formats, clarifying the role of the teacher in introducing students to stories.

The concept of the “educational experience” of online master’s degree students is explored through the lens of three models: instructor-centered, consumer-centered, and anthropic. The first part of the article provides a scoping review of the subject grounded in models of educational experience proposed by V.S. Efimov and A.V. Lapteva, alongside approaches identified in a recent international systematic review. The overview is further enriched by concepts of user experience from the fields of business and marketing, which have influenced the development online education. Based on this review, the authors propose a conceptual model of educational experience and apply it to the interpretation of empirical data.

The second part of the article outlines the findings from a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted with 17 students from 3 online master’s programs at Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT). The study confirms that the models of educational experience persist within the online environment and leads to the conclusion that the educational experience, as the core element of education, is largely independent of the format through which the student engages with the learning process. The authors propose definitions of educational experience that synthesize the practical outcomes observed. The article also discusses the relationship between the student’s subject position and the opportunities for the personalization of the educational program.