Institutional Models of Scientific Mentoring for Russian University Students: Organizational and Managerial Aspects

This study analyzed the Russian and foreign experience of foreign students tutor support. It is shown that the increasing the number of international students around the world showed that universities faced the problems of creating a favorable environment and adaptation for them. Tutor support is common in foreign universities, but its growth is also observed in Russia. The purpose of this study is to analyze the Russian and foreign experience of tutoring foreign students. The tasks include: to show an understanding of tutoring in domestic and foreign scientific discourse; to analyze foreign and Russian experience on the example of leading universities; to show the positive possibilities of tutor support of foreign students in the process of their adaptation. This work uses such research methods as analysis of domestic and foreign literature, analysis of websites of foreign universities, comparative analysis of the practices of tutor support of foreign students in Russian and foreign universities. The author analyzes the websites of leading foreign and Russian universities. The most successful practices of tutor support of foreign students abroad and in Russia have been identified. The author also describes the experience of conducting a School of Volunteer Tutors to work with students from among foreign citizens of the Siberian Institute of Management — the branch of RANEPA over the past three years. Recommendations on the organization of tutor support of foreign students at the university and its effectiveness in the adaptation process are given.

This article belongs to research type as it presents outcomes of the research conducted by the authors and includes analysis of the data gathered during polls and interpretation of university management problems unveiled during the research. The article looks into the efficacy of attracting foreign students to the Russian universities. The problem is a practical one as it solves the tasks which is relevant to universities at present. During the research authors studied foreign students’ opinion about level and quality of higher education in Russia. The main outcome of the research is the development of recommendations for university executives and local authorities concerning increase of the number of foreign students at the Russian universities. Practical part of the research included questionnaires for the foreign students from the following universities: HSE, HSE in Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow State Regional University, RANEPA, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod, Linguistics University of Nizhny Novgorod as well as Samara State Economic University. The poll covered 124 students. The main result of the research is the list of recommendations on increasing foreign students’ number at Russian universities based on the experience of Russian and foreign universities as well as poll results. Analysis results demonstrated the following measures to be the most relevant: increasing the number of subjects taught in English; creation of joint project uniting Russian and foreign students to solve the problem of communication and interaction; increasing English language skills of teaching and academic staff; adding newest research publications in different topic areas in English to electronic base of Russian university libraries; providing introductory trips around Russia; providing comfortable separate rooms in the dormitory for foreign students: presence of information in English in the city; opening research centers and laboratories in different areas of science. As a suggestion for further research in this topic we can mention broadening the number of respondents which will allow for identifying additional aspects of teaching at Russian universities which require improvement for upgrading university reputation and increasing its attractiveness for foreign students. The article contains authors’ research and recommendations based not only on existing foreign and Russian experience but also on primary data received from participants of the teaching process - foreign students. It must be mentioned that research does not include opinion of CIS students as most of them get benefits when coming to study in Russia. Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation is also interested in solving the problem of attracting foreign students into Russian universities therefore university executives are eager to improve university status at the international level and attract foreign students.

In the face of fierce competition in the educational services market, Russian universities are actively implementing various systems of key indicators of educational and scientific activities in an effort to take high positions in various international and national rankings. However, such an approach negatively affects both the quality of specialist training and the spiritual and moral role of the higher education system in the development of Russian society.. The subject of the research is rating as a tool for strategic management of the organization and personnel management and evaluation of the effectiveness of higher education institutions. The purpose of the work is to develop proposals to reduce the use of quantitative approaches in the process of evaluating the effectiveness of higher education organizations in Russia, as well as in the personnel management system. The research methodology is based on general and special methods of scientific cognition, normative, positive and comparative types of analysis, synthesis, classification, as well as sociological research methods are used in the work. The methods of rating the activities of scientific and pedagogical staff, as well as the main performance indicators of educational institutions of higher education, which relate to discriminant methods, including methods for classifying multidimensional observations according to the principle of maximum similarity in the presence of training features in the form of ratings and ranks, are analyzed. In particular, information on the most well-known performance ratings of modern domestic and foreign universities is systematized, the main directions of their use in the practice of Russian and foreign universities are considered. The modern trend of innovation-oriented organizations and institutions is presented, which consists in abandoning rating and switching to conducting conversations between managers and performers to find sources of growth in their workplaces. As a result of the conducted research, it was concluded that it is necessary to include qualitative indicators in the evaluation systems and conduct university ratings based on open data.

The aim of this work was to identify the existing types of massive open online courses integration into the educational process with the help of assessing the practices adopted by foreign and Russian universities. Besides, the authors identified conditions necessary for successful integration of online courses into academic programs of Russian universities and marked basic advantages and limitation of using MOOC in the educational process. Analysis used the data from academic publications, university regulatory documents, university official sites and 5 expert interviews with executives and administrators of online learning centers from leading Russian universities – m embers of «National open learning platform» (NOLP) Association. The analysis of MOOC integration into educational process allowed for identifying three main types of online courses inclusion into academic programs: 1) MOOC integration into blended format of learning; 2) replacement of several full-time courses by online disciplines; 3) creating a program of an online master course with all courses taught in online format. Foreign universities have made this technology an essential part of training, therefore creating new environment for education. At the same time, Russian universities do not use this method on a wide-scale basis. Yet there is a legislative basis for MOOC integration into the educational process. This might be related first of all with low awareness of both universities and students of the opportunity of using online courses within the framework of the educational process. Despite the advantages of using online courses, this practice has its risks: 1) researchers have not identified a single unified standard for organizing blended courses; 2) there is no standard for evaluating MOOC quality; 3) we do not know economic and educational effects of integrating online courses into the educational process as well as business – model of online education; 4) courses on certain topics cannot be transferred into online format; 5) there are lecturers’ opposing MOOCs integration into the educational process, and they demonstrate low level of interest in using such courses in the academic program; 6) there are many questions concerning the choice of MOOCs, forming a curriculum with a convenient period of teaching and correct calculation of the results of passing an online course. In order to ensure successful integration of MOOCs into the educational process within Russian universities, the article presents three groups of conditions necessary for implementing two types of mixed models, model with replacing traditional courses by online ones and online maser course model based solely on MOOCs: 1) staff; 2) integration process administration, and 3) functional characteristics of the online platform. The results obtained can be of interest for university executives, as there are practical recommendations for implementing MOOCs into teaching activities. The conditions suggested allow for successful implementation of this teaching technology at both selective and non-selective universities, opening new opportunities for using innovational teaching methods in practice.

The purpose of this paper is to develop methodical tools of an institution personnel satisfaction assessment and carry out the research of its level using the example of the Russian and foreign universities. For studying approaches to carry out a personnel satisfaction assessment the experience of 20 higher education institutions of Europe, the USA and Canada and 29 higher education institutions of Russia is studied. For the research of foreign and Russian universities experience the content analysis of the official sites of higher education institutions according to personnel satisfaction was used, the criteria to allow characterizing the personnel assessment satisfaction process were proved. Following the results of the carried-out personnel assessment satisfaction process analysis the main features characterizing carrying out similar research were marked out and distribution of higher education institutions according to maturity levels of personnel assessment satisfaction is made as well. The comparative assessment of personnel assessment satisfaction level of the Russian and foreign universities is given.

The present paper is devoted to the search for successful experience and analysis of the problems of supporting students’ research work (R&D) and scientific mentoring in Russian universities. The relevance of the topic is due to the need to evaluate approaches to stimulating not only research and development, but also the activities of scientific mentors in terms of the sustainability and effectiveness of the impact of existing support measures on student involvement in science andteachers’ motivation to mentoring activities. Since the interaction of students and scientific mentors, implemented in the unique organizational conditions of each particular university, and a typical all-Russian context, forms an ecosystem, the article focuses on considering measures to support research and scientific mentoring in interrelation. The purpose of the article is to consider measures to support research and scientific mentoring in Russian universities. The results of an empirical study conducted in 2024 using the methods of traditional analysis of documents (normative legal acts on measures to support research and development at the federal, regional and local levels) and a semi-structured interview with scientific mentors from among academic staff of universities (n = 30) are presented. Main results: generalization of measures to support research and development at three levels (federal, regional and local) of higher education management. It is shown that, at the federal level, they are worded extremely broadly, allowing the regions and universities to specify and refine them.The uneven distribution of support measures by region and their emphasis on financial incentives are revealed. It is concluded that each university has a limited number of documents regulating the support of research and mentoring. The contradictions in the attitude of the academic staff to the measures of support for research and scientific mentoring were disclosed. The prospects for the development of a research programme to support research and scientific mentoring in universities are considered.

Introduction. The article deals with the problem of improving the quality of higher education in the context of its computerization. The purpose of the article is to describe the new structure of higher education, based on the principle of a neural network, as well as to identify the prospects of digital transformation for universities, when a wide range of administrative and educational functions might be performed by artificial intelligence. Materials and Methods. The study uses structural modeling in order to build a higher education system that functions as a neural network based on theoretical analysis and reviewing of scholarly literature on the methodology of teaching in high-ranking foreign universities. The author also employs the UTAUT (Unified theory of acceptance and use of technology) model to identify students’ attitudes towards the prospects for the introduction of artificial intelligence in higher education. Results. The paper proposes and describes a new intellectual structure of the higher education system. A distinctive feature of this structure is that employers should become the main evaluators of graduates’ education outcomes. Employers’ feedback is supposed to be provided for universities, adjusting the higher education system to continuously changing market requirements. The advantage of transforming the higher education system according to the principles of neural network functioning will bring a considerable increase in the quality of preparing top-level professionals, and therefore, real prospects for restructuring the national economy will be provided, when GDP growth is ensured not by increasing the amount of exporting raw materials, but by high-tech production. The results of students’ survey conducted and processed using the UTAUT model showed that the younger generation has a positive attitude towards the introduction of AI in the educational process: they are attracted by new prospects in obtaining knowledge and are not afraid of the risks associated with it. Conclusions. The paper concludes that Russian universities, by switching to the new model of higher education, based on a neural network, will be able to dramatically improve the quality of education and become world leaders in the field of preparing top-level professionals, as currently in foreign universities, artificial intelligence manages only a limited range of functions. A distinctive feature of the proposed model is complete digitalization and automation of all routine work at universities, decreasing methodological and reporting load for academic staff, as well as transferring the main teaching load from classrooms to laboratories for a deeper students’ involvement in research activities.

In the context of the increasing competitiveness of the scientific and educational environment, the emergence of parallel educational systems, and the instability of budgetary spending on education and science, university administrators are faced with the task of finding a balance between the commercial and academic needs of universities. For Russian universities, the issues of diversifying financing and increasing investment activity are of particular relevance. This issue is crucial for entrepreneurial universities, which face the acute problem of resource provision for scientific and engineering problems. This encourages universities focused on applied problem-oriented research and commercialization of results to expand and diversify their funding sources, including through the implementation of new investment strategies.This study aimed to analyze the volumes and models of foreign universities’ investment activities and assess the prospects for reproducing such investment practices in Russian universities.It is shown that leading foreign universities successfully combines scientific, educational, and innovative activities with investment while using a wide range of tools and professional management companies. In the last decade (2011–2020), they have been seen as participants in mergers and acquisitions, the objects of which are most often university startups. As a result, universities have high incomes, new strategic partners, and the geography of investors is expanding. It is noted that most domestic university endowment funds have insufficient funds for investment activities, which makes it expedient to create a University Fund Fund as a new financial instrument for the development of academic entrepreneurship in the country’s regions.

This article summarizes the practices of organizing research activities that can improve the training of international students in Russian universities. The authors analyzed and identified the correlation between the internal costs of research and development (R&D), the equipment in university research laboratories, and the number of foreigners studying at Russian universities. The authors used the methods of analysis and synthesis and a systematic approach to explore the experience of Russian universities in the training of international students. To identify the impact of internal R&D costs and the equipment of university research laboratories on the number of foreigners studying in Russian universities, the authors applied correlation and regression analysis, which included building a regression equation, calculating the correlation coefficient, the t-test, the coefficient of elasticity, and the coefficient of determination. This research paper revealed a strong correlation between the number of international students in the Russian Federation on the internal R&D costs and the cost of fixed assets and the equipment of Russian universities, which was proven by the calculated correlation coefficients, elasticity coefficients, and determination coefficients. The authors concluded that universities could influence the number of international students. This article proposes some methods for organizing the research activities of international students that increase their academic mobility and form the most relevant scientific and professional competencies. Higher educational institutions of any major can implement these recommendations for managing the research activities of international students. The novelty of this study lies in the fact that the authors performed the correlation and regression analysis and revealed the dependence of the number of international students in the Russian Federation on internal R&D costs, the cost of fixed assets, and the equipment of Russian universities. The authors illustrated the analysis results with the trend predictive values of factorial features and the value of the effective feature estimated according to the regression equations built. Using the calculated MAPE and Forecast Accuracy indicators for these predicted values, the authors concluded that the level of factorial features and the effective feature were predicted with high accuracy. Thus, host Russian universities can increase the number of international students through effective organization of research activities.

The article examines organization and self organization as two principles of managing student science and scientific mentoring in a university. Student science and scientific mentoring are treated as two interrelated activities involving students and mentor instructors. It is demonstrated that their management relies on both organizational forms and processes of self-organization. The aim of the article is to uncover the significance of organizational and self-organizational principles for university management in student science and scientific mentoring. The tasks involve summarizing university practices of organizing student science and related scientific mentoring practices, as well as characterizing manifestations of self organization in the activities of student researchers and their scientific mentors. The empirical basis of the article comprises the results of a study carried out in 2023 using methods of systematic literature analysis, a nationwide student survey (n = 3032). Based on the results of the systematic review, five organizational forms of student science are identified, each associated with corresponding scientific mentoring practices. The equal importance of organizational and self organizational aspects in the development of student science and scientific mentoring in Russian universities is substantiated. The significance of mentoring programs is emphasized, as they contribute to students’ self­organization and initiative in the realm of scientific endeavors. The practical value of the research lies in advocating the integration of organizational and self organizational approaches in managing student science, which enhances the productivity of both student researchers and their scientific mentors.

The study examines issues concerning education of Chinese master students in Russian universities. This topic is gaining great relevance today both in connection with the transition of Russia’s higher education to a multilevel system, and the tasks of increasing the internationalization of educational services by Russian universities. The presence of master programs has been considered lately one of the main criteria of the university innovative potential for it meets the objectives of the education continuity. As an example, the implementation of master programs for international students at the Vladivostok State University of Economics and Service (VSUES) is considered. Particular attention is paid to Chinese students who represent the most massive contingent of foreign citizens studying at universities of the Russian Far East in general and at VSUES in particular. The goal of the research, carried out empirically (questionnaires, personal interviews, and observations), is to identify the factors influencing the adaptation of Chinese master students in the Russian university educational environment and the associated effectiveness of their cognitive process. Some measures to improve the master training and increase the efficiency of master courses are proposed. The research results can be of practical value for university faculty engaged in international master students teaching.

The author of the article, who is the chairman of the Russian part of the Russian-Chinese working group on interaction in the study and teaching of Russian and Chinese languages, the development of bilateral academic exchanges and scientific and technical cooperation of universities, analyzes the main directions of modern cooperation between Russian Federation and PRC in the field of education. The article also gives examples from the practice of cooperation between Russian universities and organizations and Chinese partners on coordinated areas, joint interaction in the studying and teaching Rus-sian and Chinese languages, the creation of associations of profile universities in Russia and China. The aim of this research is to identify the specifics of the practice of cooperation between the leading Russian and Chinese universities in the development and implementation of joint educational programs with the double diplomas. Separately, the current regulatory and legal framework of Russian-Chinese co-operation in the field of education is also analyzed. Author also considers the cooperation of the two countries in promoting Russian and Chinese lan-guages, the issues of studying the state languages of partner countries. A statistical analysis of the number of Chinese students studying in Russian universities, the number of partnership agreements and programs, the volume of the budget quota allocated for the training of Chinese students in Russian universities is also conducted. In general, the relevance of the article is due to the general tendency to expand cooperation between Russia and China in the field of education, in particular, within the framework of the priority project “Development of the export potential of the Russian education system”, within which China is one of the priority states, as well as Chinese students studying in different forms of training in Russian educational organizations should increase to 100,000 people. It seems that the article will attract the attention of heads of state and private organizations engaged in cooperation with China in education and science.

Introduction. Academic mobility of students is an integral part of quality higher education in Russia. A frequent problem is a difficult adaption to a foreign country. The article looks into to the problem of offsetting negative consequences of cultural adaptation of Russian students in German universities during short-term stay. The aim of the article is to work out recommendations on preliminary preparation of short-term international academic mobility programs between Russian and foreign partner universities, taking into account cultural adaptation of students. Materials and Methods. The research draws on surveys of students participating in the 6-month (1 semester) international Russian-German academic mobility program. As a survey technique, a group continuous correspondence survey was employed. The questionnaire was compiled following the conditions of relevance and representativeness using empirical indicators and descriptive statistics. The method of statistical factor analysis served a tool to identify the main factors influencing the quality of adaptation; for a comparative analysis of the results of the survey, statistical methods of comparing averages and statistical visualization were used. Results. The article analyzes the results of surveys of students of the German-Russian Institute of Advanced Technologies about the main points of education in Germany that cause them difficulties. A comparative analysis of learning in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic (hybrid, almost completely remote learning) with the period before the pandemic (full face-to-face learning) was made. Conclusions are drawn about the prevailing factors that influenced the success of learning in both cases. Examples of practical recommendations are formulated as to the necessary preparation of Russian university students for studying at European universities in the years following the pandemic, taking into account the results of surveys of teachers from the host German university, as well as the observations of an expert from the Kazan National Research Technical University over the teaching process at the Technical University of Kaiserslautern. Based on the results of the analysis of factors most affecting the success of Russian students in a foreign university, we propose measures aimed at accelerating and mitigating the adaptation of Russian-speaking students to a long stay in a foreign environment. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the hybrid form of education looks most effective, as it increases the success of Russian students studying abroad. Discussion and Conclusion. The proposed approach to the assessment of influencing factors and the developed methods for their elimination will help prevent similar problems in the future. The conclusions made by the authors contribute to the practice of short-stay international academic mobility organization. The article materials are of interest to the scientific and pedagogical community, faculty and management of educational institutions.

In recent years, there has been a rapid development of artificial intelligence technologies, which has a noticeable impact on the field of education and science. On one hand, artificial intelligence facilitates accelerated data processing, increases the accuracy of analysis, and improves the quality of scientific work. On the other hand, the use of generative models (for example, algorithms capable of creating coherent texts) gives rise to new forms of academic fraud. The legal aspects of applying artificial intelligence in educational and scientific activities remain underdeveloped. The lack of clear regulations governing the use of artificial intelligence in the preparation of educational and scientific works creates legal uncertainty. The aim of this article is to explore the legal and ethical aspects of applying artificial intelligence in the preparation of educational and scientific works, as well as to assess the response of higher education institutions to emerging challenges. The methodological basis of the work consisted of scientific approaches to studying academic integrity and plagiarism, as well as concepts of digital transformation in education; analysis of regulatory and governing documents; and empirical research (survey methodology). The total number of participants in the study was 210 people (160 students and 50 teachers) from four Russian universities. The article examines the features of "AI plagiarism" in comparison with classical plagiarism, analyzes legal responsibility for the misuse of artificial intelligence, and provides examples of regulatory approaches from Russian and foreign universities. Particular attention is paid to moral dilemmas related to the line between the permissible "assistive" role of artificial intelligence and the complete substitution of the author's intellectual contribution. As illustrative materials, the results of a student audience survey are presented, as well as comparative data on the prevalence of AI fraud. The conclusions drawn may be useful in shaping institutional policies aimed at preserving academic integrity and quality of education in the context of digitalization. Higher education institutions must actively adapt to new realities by developing educational programs and rules that will help students and teachers use artificial intelligence responsibly and effectively. Further research in the field of legal regulation and ethics of AI use in education and science appears to be extremely important for ensuring sustainable development in these areas.

The paper delivers the results of the study analyzing the established advanced practices of combining distance and face-to-face forms of learning in higher education. The key criterion for hybrid learning is the ratio of synchronous and asynchronous online formats in the learning process, and its essential basis - the learner's agency. The praximetric analysis of the sources and cases of foreign and Russian universities resulted in peculiarities of hybrid learning models. In-depth interviews with representatives of 14 universities allowed us to specify organizational and didactic features of the hybrid learning as well as its advantages and its limitations. The geography of respondents from foreign universities (Harvard Business School, Stockholm School of Economics, University of Arizona) and leading Russian universities (St. Petersburg State University, ITMO University, Higher School of Economics, Tomsk State University, Moscow City University, Ural Federal University, Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, University of Tyumen) makes the study representative. Based on the comprehensive analysis of the interviewees' answers, the authors consider the hybrid format not as a universal solution for higher education, but as an opportunity to solve specific educational goals, individualize learning and attract new target groups. The study focuses on the flexible hybrid format (HyFlex), which gives students the choice of attending the class on campus (face-to-face), participation of classes via videoconferencing, or studying the course completely asynchronously, i.e., from class recordings and other materials.