The article presents a new method of designing a national ranking of higher education institutions on the basis of aggregating all existing public national rankings. The new aggregating method MetALeague (Method of Analysis of Leagues) can help to do away with monopoly in evaluation, thus, providing room for independent evaluation of HEIs. The analysis of the current state of procedures and methods of independent evaluation of Russian HEIs in the form of rankings and databases was carried out. The suggested MetALeague method is based on the mathematical tool of the voting theory in small groups and helps to combine different independent evaluations in a single format. A possible approach to creating such a unified national ranking in the form of 10 leagues is considered and the calculation results are presented. The developed ranking methods and the obtained results can be useful for self-diagnosis and promotion of research, organizational and methodological activities of HEIs, and also when introducing a risk-oriented approach in oversight activities.

The article presents an analysis of the specific features of the socio-cultural modernization of education in contemporary Russia and the methodology of the development of the ethno-regional education systems against the background of strengthening the unified education space of Russia. Special attention is paid to the consideration of the strategy of the development of education districts of contemporary Russia as the foundation for building the government vertical of state management in the field of education.

As part of the development of organizational and pedagogical resources of risk management of the gap between the scientific and education space of the country, the authors have worked out the idea of setting up scientific and education complexes and developing education districts in the country. This approach meets the objective of improving the quality of higher education in the regions of the country by establishing clear links with regional universities in the most “advanced” areas, organizing scientific and educational activities.

Creating education districts serves as the foundation of building up a multicultural education space of the Russian Federation, the resource of lining up control at the federal and regional levels, the formation of a new vector of education policy focused on the preservation and development of a unified, internally differentiated scientific and education space of the country.

The article focuses on the personal characteristics of candidates for employment in higher education institutions. The presence of a number of features in a candidate, with high probability, determines their potential disloyalty to any employer in the system of higher education. The authors explore the personal qualities, psychological types, habits and inclinations of lecturers, as well as other employees of University, which can provoke various threats to its reputation, information and property security. The article makes the case for using special HR-technologies as a necessary element of the recruitment procedure in modern University. HR-technologies such as stress interview questions, 16PF Questionnaire, Questionnaire of K. Leonhard - S. Shmishek, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Buss-Durkey Inventory and others make it possible to identify the above negative qualities and, thus, to prevent most of possible threats to the personnel security of higher education institution. The article formulates the practice-oriented recommendations on the solution ofthe considered problem.

The institute of headmen of academic groups is an auxiliary tool for improving the educational process in higher education. This tool is traditional for Russian Universities, but it practically is not used abroad. Based on empirical data, the article highlights its current state, formulates key problems and justifies measures to overcome them.

The goal is the formation of a set of sound scientific and practical measures to improve the educational process in Russian higher education by developing the institute of headmen of academic groups.

Methodology and methods. On the basis of the questionnaire developed by the author, a student survey was conducted to explore how the institute of headmen of academic groups is functioning in one of the Russian economic universities. The total number of students who were invited to participate in the survey was 238 people (12 academic groups); the actual number of respondents was 193 (81% of students). The questionnaire was anonymous, remote, electronic, free of charge.

The results and scientific novelty. The author has formulated a number of key problems characterizing functioning of the institute of headmen of academic groups at the present stage: a) the lack of proper interaction between deans and headmen; b) the lack of real authority among the headmen; c) the lack of candidates for the role of headmen; d) the lack of systems in domestic universities for: d1) attracting students with high organizational skills and leadership to perform the functions of headmen; d2) the formation of a personnel reserve of headmen; d3) supporting headmen’s activities including the development of their personal and business qualities. To overcome them, a number of recommendations have been proposed: a) to formalize the status of the institute of headmen of academic groups as an auxiliary tool for improving the educational process in order to specify the conceptual task of its functioning; b) to intensify the interaction between the organizational and educational units of deans headmen of academic groups; c) to empower councils of headmen so that they can take part in consideration of certain issues related to the implementation of the educational process; d) to create a working system for the selection, preparation and support of the activities of headmen of academic groups; e) to increase the motivation of headmen.

Practical relevance. The given recommendations can be used in Russia and abroad at the state and local levels in order to improve the quality of the educational process in higher education institutions.

The development of literate speech of students, including mathematics, as one of the areas of communicative component of learning outcomes, is a requirement of higher education standards. The authors have analysed the educational standards for the content of the requirements to the general education of a graduate related to the development of literate speech, as well as the works of domestic and foreign teachers-researchers on the development of mathematical literacy. The literature review and the authors’ own experience of teaching mathematics to engineering students at technical University showed that the ability of students to use logically correct, reasoned and clear oral and written speech is developed insufficiently to apply the mathematical apparatus in their educational and professional activities. The authors have identified the criteria of competent speech and theoretical and methodological conditions of the educational process which enable the ensure the organizational and methodological support of educational process aimed at the development of competent mathematical speech of students. The main applied methods of teaching are advanced self-directed work of students, lecture-discussion, mutual dictation, interchange of tasks, interchange of themes, study of the text fragments, repetition training-game, etc. The effectiveness of educational activities is achieved through the use of active and interactive forms of teaching. The prepared organizational and methodological support of teaching, the systemic educational work allow students to improve their speech skills and skills of active use of mathematical language as a universal language of science, to develop logical, algorithmic and mathematical thinking, the ability to apply methods of mathematical analysis and modeling, theoretical and experimental research in solving professional problems.

The article deals with the problem of the transformation of mathematical training of the innovative engineers’ generation during the transition to the Federal State Educational Standards 3++. Mathematical education plays a significant role in training of engineers. The authors highlight the main problems of modern mathematical education in Russia. The analysis of the Federal state educational standards and working curricula in the context of the requirements for the mathematical training of students in the field of study No. 13.00.02 “Electrical power engineering and electrical engineering” studying at Tobolsk Industrial Institute, branch of the Tyumen Industrial University was conducted. The article provides the authors’ definition of mathematical competence, the development of which is the purpose of the mathematical training of a new generation of engineers, considers such components of the mathematical competence as Hard Skills and Soft Skills. On the basis of the conducted research, a model of the mathematical training for bachelors of a technical university was proposed in the context of the transition to the FSES 3++ based on the innovative STEM education technologies and the CDIO concept. The article determines an optimal content of the studied sections of mathematical disciplines necessary for the successful mastering of the curriculum of the field. The implementation of the model involves the use of innovative forms and methods in the educational process aimed at development of the abilities to plan, design, produce and apply complex engineering objects, processes, and systems in modern teamwork conditions. To determine whether the mathematical competence has been well-formed, criteria and indicators were identified. On their basis, five levels of the formed mathematical competence were distinguished: insufficient, developing, experienced, advanced, expert. It is assumed that the implementation of the developed model will allow to train an “engineering special forces” knowing world-class technologies to ensure breakthrough in solving production problems.

The article reveals the concept of academic writing educational paradigm, which is made up of several different didactic aspects to be taken into account in planning and organising the learning process. The aim of the article is to make an overview of these aspects in order to show how academic writing can be incorporated in the existing higher educational curricula, in particular the foreign language course, and to design an effective didactic mechanism of academic writing acquisition. The authors formulate the major principles of organising and implementing the training process, the most important being the competence-and-activity-based approach to teaching, relying on the competence-based model of academic writing worked out by the authors and applying the step-bystep strategy of training. Regarding academic writing as a long process of knowledge, abilities and skills acquisition in which further development always relies on previous achievements allows the authors to presuppose that there are certain corner stones on the way to academic writing competence formation. These are writing a scientific essay, writing a synopsis and writing a research article, which are sequential elements of the paradigm. Correspondingly, the competence in research article writing can be acquired successfully on the basis of similar verbal activities which have very close competence-based patterns. This supposition is confirmed by the results of the experiment in which the students failed to write a research article without special training and wrote a scientific essay instead because they could rely on the skill of essay writing available in their verbal experience. The analysis carried out by the authors allows them to conclude that the way to academic writing, which is rather long and complicated, requires profound understanding of its educational paradigm for implementing the training process within the framework of the higher educational foreign language course.

The 21 century is the time of globalization, which is manifested in the extensive use of the English language as the language of science and education. In the time of the high level of academic mobility and the great number of the English-language programs, the course “English Medium Instruction” has acquired its international reputation. According to the research conducted by the British Council, 55 countries worldwide became EMI countries. Russia was not a member. However, Russia also experiences the world trend of internationalization of education, thus the linguoprofes-sional competence plays a significant role in the learning process. Realization of the interdisciplinary approach to education has been the Russian case study of the course “English Medium Instruction” in the leading research university MIPT. The article considers the case of cooperation of the teacher with the course participants - MIPT faculty - in the process of the writing up of the syllabus. In the course of study, participants got interested in the issues of academic writing - English for research publication purposes (Research Writing) and Student Writing as the constituent and mandatory part of academic courses. Course participants considered the macrostructure of the professionally-oriented genres of writing - a research article and its types - and the most frequent difficulties and errors that occur in writing. Course participants got the answers how to integrate the writing tasks in their own course in the workshop called “Student Writing” addressing the typical student genres of data report, summary, annotated bibliography, thesis project. Course participants discussed how to create a writing task assignment in an interesting and professional way, what research skills are required for students, what are the evaluation criteria, and if it is necessary to assess the language errors and how. One more way of addressing the academic discourse was the genre of presentations. Being a hybrid genre that includes an oral part and a written part, presentations have a great learning potential, which makes it possible to compare and contrast special features of an informal and formal style. By the end of the course several participants could make some changes and even rewrite their syllabus. The author hopes that such a course with CLIL component will find its place in the Russian universities.

The aim of the work is to study the features of digitalization in medicine, healthcare, professional education, and to determine the directions of their further adaptation to the requirements of the time on the example of the medical university. The provision is based on the use of methods such as content analysis of modern publications on the problem, their logical analysis, generalization and systemization of published information, as well as the presentation of the experience of digitalization in the higher medical education.

The article shows the relevance of digitalization for health care, with which it is possible to optimize the tasks of managing the quality and accessibility of medical care. They require a quick quantitative assessment using modern information technology, mathematical methods, software, big data analysis, and other technology tools. Content in digitalization in healthcare also includes the creation of innovative services and platforms that enable remote communication with patients, doctors, medical and pharmaceutical services, and the use of monitoring of medical and preventive processes in medical organizations.

The digitalization of higher education is one of the areas of innovative policy of universities, implemented in accordance with the requirements and conditions of the external environment and own funds. Training of professionals with the right knowledge and digital technology requires appropriate educational information resources for educational and scientific processes in universities. To do this, the electronic information education environment (EIEE) is formed as a set of information, telecommunications and technology tools. The experience of creating EIEE at Kursk State Medical University over the past decades is presented. Various forms and methods of learning and knowledge control are being computerized. The university has subdivision management systems (dean’s offices, departments, library, staff, admissions committees, educational and methodological management and others). Many continuing medical education programs at the Faculty of Postgraduate Education are being implemented remotely. Methods and forms of practice-oriented and project-based training using information technology are being developed.

The study highlights the importance of motivating students to participate in volunteering as it is viewed as an effective tool of modern management at the University. On the example of volunteers of Kursk State Medical University, the article reveals common motives for their participation in volunteer activity and the potential of volunteering to develop general cultural (universal) competencies. So, the researchers identify among the leading motives the following: altruistic motives, motives of personal development, involvement, self-realization, communication. The questionnaire of volunteers made it possible to confirm the theoretical conclusions obtained from the literature review, and enhances the authors’ conclusions on the need for constructing the sociocultural environment at the University. The authors believe that the participation in the University’s volunteer projects creates conditions for students’ self-realization and self-development, which ultimately contributes to the development of their general cultural (universal) competencies as well as to the realization of the objectives of the state youth policy by the University. Considering volunteering as an innovative form of educational work, the researchers focus on the fact that the study of the motives of active volunteers allows modern leaders of higher education to more clearly create conditions for meeting the needs of volunteers, combining the interests ofan individual with public goals.

Higher medical education places high demands to the quality of applicants’ knowledge, assumes the awareness of their choice of future profession. As practice shows, often this choice is made by high school students at the level of momentary desires, current hobbies, intuition or under the pressure of social stereotypes, parents, teachers or friends. Not having a full understanding of the specifics and functional content of the chosen profession, they eventually become disillusioned with the chosen profession and lose all interest in it. Modern requirements to the preparation of medical personnel put forward the need to improve the methods of career guidance and close interaction of universities with the population, authorities and health management. The purpose of career guidance at medical university is the formation of good-quality contingent of students for the preparation of qualified medical personnel taking account of the needs of the regions. The University tries to assist youth in professional self-determination, development, social and psychological adaptation, future work.

The article summarizes the experience of Kursk State Medical University in career guidance in medical school, offers a model aimed at improving the professional orientation of young people. This model assumes professional immersion at the pre-University, University and postgraduate stages of work. Professional immersion allows to realize multistage professional formation, to estimate risks, to see difficulties and to outline points of application of personal efforts. By means of professional immersion it is possible to attract to medical work the most prepared youth having a medical orientation, steady motivation to future professional activity, possessing the necessary level of professionally important qualities. The effectiveness of the proposed model is confirmed by high rates of students’ satisfaction with the content of education, studying at the University, and future profession.

Project-based learning as a principle of the educational process that is being implemented at the universities has a long history. The model of Aalborg University (Denmark) which was created in 1974 to change the traditional approach to teaching students in higher educational institutions of the country is the basic (archetypal) model of project-based learning. The School of Economics and Management of the Far Eastern Federal University is currently implementing its own model of project-based learning (SEM model). This model is developed on the basis of design thinking, which is a methodology for solving ill-structured problems in the face of uncertainty. The implementation of design thinking in the educational process should promote the development of creativity and critical thinking competencies among students, and the organization of project work should contribute to the development of communication skills necessary for interaction with internal and external stakeholders as well as teamwork skills. The purpose of the article is to compare this model with the base model of Aalborg university, to identify the general and the special features of both of these models, to outline prospects for the further development of the SEM model. Thesis: the experience gained at the SEM over the three years of the learning implementation provides an opportunity to create its own systemic model of project-based learning and to recommend its implementation in the other Russian universities.

The article addresses the issues of teaching the discipline “History” to non-historical specialties. The main problems are: low interest among a sizable number of students, as well as disregarding the peculiarities of students’ specialization in preparation for classes, difficulties related to the formation of assessment toolkits for the discipline. Most of the tasks look like the unified state exam options. The authors propose a solution to these problems which is in line with the competence-based approach to teaching the discipline. The authors believe that outdated stereotypes and attitudes prevailing in the preparation to classes impede improving the methods of teaching the discipline. To ensure the continuity of the levels of education, further development of knowledge and skills acquired at school, the formation or maintenance of interest in the discipline, as well as to future professional activities, it is required to familiarize teachers with the results of the unified state exam and teaching materials on history. The authors offer certain types of tasks that aim at achieving the goals of the competence approach, among them are the tasks on knowledge of historical facts, the ability to work with historical sources, but, most importantly - the ability to identify and formulate causal relationships, as well as to formulate and defend one's own position.

In the conditions of increasing internationalization of higher education, attracting students from abroad is considered as one of the means of strengthening the country’s position in the world educational space. At the same time, the implementation of this indicator is complicated by the need to systematically, comprehensively change the educational and educational process and create favorable conditions for students from among foreign citizens. The purpose of this article is to consider tutor support as a tool of sociocultural adaptation of international students and its application in Russian universities. The authors analyze the concepts of “socio-cultural adaptation”, “tutor support” and show their relationship.

The article considers such principles of modern education as openness, variability, dialog, individualization, creation of open information environment, and shows compliance with these principles of tutor support practice. The program of training of student tutors is presented and the content and forms of implementation of educational modules of this program are revealed.

As a result of the analysis of the experience of the School of tutors and volunteers in Siberian Institute of management, the branch of RANEPA it is concluded about the prospects and opportunities of using student tutoring as a tool for adapting international students to study in Russian universities and an effective way of their involvement in joint sociocultural activities, allowing to reveal and develop their existing personal and educational potential. The experience of training students-tutors is aimed at creating favorable conditions for socio-cultural adaptation of international students in Russia.