On the issue of organizational powers of the guarantor of the educational program of a higher education institution

Subject. The article addresses the efficiency and sustainability of public, private, and foreign-owned enterprises. Objectives. The aim is to develop and test a methodology for analyzing the said enterprises. Methods. The study rests on general scientific principles and research methods, like abstraction, generalization of approaches to the analysis of enterprises of different forms of business ownership. Results. I developed a methodology, which includes three stages. First, estimating the share of enterprises of different forms of ownership in total assets, revenue, and profit, and analyzing the sectoral and regional sample structure and enterprise size. Second, assessing the short-term and long-term efficiency, with analysis of profitability indicators, long-term dynamics, and investment activity. Finally, analyzing the adaptability of enterprises of different forms of ownership to changed conditions, and evaluating the indicators of financial stability, riskness, and dynamics for 2022. Conclusions. I tested the methodology on data from large Russian consolidated businesses (a total of 593 enterprises for 2018–2022). The calculations and analysis showed that private business prevails in assets, revenue, and net profit. For State-owned enterprises, the most significant industry is oil and gas production, for foreign-owned ones – production and distribution of electricity, gas and water, for private enterprises – retail trade. Higher profitability is typical for foreign and private enterprises. The analysis of adaptability to current conditions showed that revenue growth rate in 2022 did not decrease vs. the annual average for all groups of enterprises, however, profit and profitability indicators deteriorated. In general, large consolidated public, private, and foreign-owned business demonstrated a relatively high degree of stability in 2022 with a decrease in profit and profitability, and now it continues investment activity.

In accordance with the Law of Ukraine "On Higher Education" "The system of ensuring the quality of educational activities and the quality of higher educa-tion (system of internal quality assurance) by a higher education institution is evaluated by the National Agency for Quality Assurance of Higher Education or independent institutions accredited by it for the assessment and quali-ty assurance of higher education on the subject of its compliance with the requirements for the system of quali-ty assurance of higher education approved by the Nation-al Agency for Quality Assurance of Higher Education". The development of the systemof internal quality assurance of the institution of higher education remains a problem, since there are currently no clear requirements for the criteria, procedures and measures of its evaluation. How-ever, there are minimum and recommended system re-quirements and, if we analyze the regulations on the internal quality assurance systems of the higher educa-tion institution, on the divisions of the higher education institution that ensure the functioning of the system as a whole, we can come to the conclusion that in the most institutions of higher education neither minimum nor recommended system requirements are not hold.Methods:analysis and synthesis. Results.The study of the development of the system of internal quality assurance of a higher education institu-tion was conducted.Originality.Originality. In this article, based on the re-sults of the research:the system of internal quality assurance of a higher education institution is a system that consists of a set of interconnected elements (department of internal quality assurance of the educational process, four groups of stakeholders (students of higher education according to the educational program; graduates of the educational program; representatives of employers (customers); repre-sentatives of theacademic community (research and teaching staff)), the academic council, the group of tele-communication networks and information systems, the information and communication service, as well as the scientific and organizational department), which form a single whole, interact with the environment and among themselves was determined;the presence/absence of the cycle of changing the sta-tus of a stakeholder, applicant -graduate -employer representative -scientific and pedagogical worker in the system of internal quality assurance of a higher education institution is the most important criterion for evaluating this system was established;the methodology of studying and introducing the expe-rience of professional activity into the educational process was defined;the presence of the dependence of the development of the internal quality assurance system on the introduction of professional activity experience into the educational process of the higher education institution was substanti-ated.The existence of the dependence of the development of the internal quality assurance system on the introduction of professional activity experience into the educational process of a higher education institution was substantiat-ed, the methodology of studying and introducing theexpe-rience of professional activity into the educational process was proposed.

The article reveals the evaluation of the activities carried out by scientific and pedagogical staff in domestic higher education institutions from a process point of view and the standpoint of the result. The main types of assessment used in higher education institutions are described. The results obtained during the analysis of scientific publications, normative documents and questionnaires of teachers and managers confirmed the massive rating of the activities of scientific and pedagogical workers, its superiority among other types of assessment.
 According to the materials available in the open Internet access, a comparative analysis of the rating policy of 20 higher education institutions, located in different regions of Ukraine, was carried out. It was found that in each university the determinant of the rating policy is Development Strategy, according to which the evaluation of research and teaching staff is positioned as an important procedure for internal quality assurance of higher education and a factor in stimulating professional development of teachers.
 Based on a comparative analysis of the regulatory framework, criteria, indicators and evaluation procedures inherent in different institutions of higher education, common features and characteristics of rating evaluation of research and teaching staff. The personal and institutional dimensions of the significance of various evaluation of the activity of scientific and pedagogical workers are revealed. Emphasis is placed on modern indicators and problematic evaluation issues identified in the process of studying domestic practices. Insufficient use of information collected through rating assessment for prognostic purposes is emphasized.
 The tendency of updating criteria and indicators of a rating estimation of activities carried out by scientific and pedagogical workers of universities is established. An objective relationship between the establishment of coefficients for the rating of the main types of professional activities of research and teaching staff (educational, scientific, methodological, organizational and educational) and the priority of the holding activities for the university at the time of the rating.

Debates over the effects and efficacy of different forms of newspaper ownership are rising. This article elucidates the debates by exploring private, public, not-for-profit, and employee ownership using economic and managerial theory about ownership and control of enterprises. It shows the managerial and economic conditions that emerge under the different forms of ownership, their implications, and the advantages and disadvantages of each. The article concludes that there is no perfect form of newspaper ownership.

In the conditions of development of the domestic market of educational services an important task of university leaders is to study the factors of motivation of the activity of scientific and pedagogical staff. Therefore, the purpose of the article was to analyse the factors that influence the work processes of operators of the market of educational services, and to study the motivational components of the effectiveness of scientific and pedagogical composition of higher education institutions. Structural and functional analysis was used; survey and observation methods; factor analysis; time studies; economic modelling, statistical methods and correlation analysis. Personnel vision of the motivational aspects of the activity is crucial, because it is education workers who directly carry out their work in higher education, who are best aware of the latent elements of departments and other structural units. Therefore, according to the results of the questionnaire developed by the author and the discovery of «Statistica» statistical analysis package, the factors that most stimulate work efficiency were worked out: 1) the nature of the works that make up the content of the work; 2) staff qualification and ability to use professional competencies in the work process; 3) the level of ownership and use of computer equipment by specific employees; 4) work experience of employees; 5) individual work intensity; 6) the level of mental activity of the staff. The method of estimation of degree of influence of factors of intensification of work activity of scientific and pedagogical workers is offered. It has been proved that the number of times of personnel training is not a factor in influencing the efficiency of their work. While the qualifications and quality of the work performed are significant parameters. There is a close inverse relationship between the duration of professional functions and the level of mental activity. According to the results of the research it is possible to improve the system of motivation of scientific and pedagogical workers. Keywords: institutions of higher education, scientific and pedagogical staff, factors of work efficiency, motivational elements.

The specific feature and at the same time the problem of formation of a holistic system of quality assurance of higher education in Ukraine is that the impe- tus for its formation was the adoption of the Law of Ukraine “On Higher Education” in 2014, in which all existing instruments of quality assurance of higher education were grouped for the first time within one integrated system, consisting of two subsystems – external and internal, each of which has its own list of mechanisms, tools, ways to ensure the quality of higher education, etc. Thus, the system and mechanisms for ensuring the quali- ty of higher education began to be formed and applied in practice without their prior scientific understanding and justification. Therefore, today the practice of their application is quite ambiguous and often contradictory, which does not contribute to neither a calm movement towards the gradual improvement of the quality of higher educa- tion, nor the effective spending of public funds during the development of this system. Therefore, each of these subsystems, including their components, requires its own research, understanding and justification in order to optimize all procedures, their coordination and balancing with each other, to avoid duplication and unnecessary “paperwork”. Thus, in particular, the external quality assurance system of higher education includes such a tool as licens- ing of educational activities in the field of higher education, which has undergone conceptual changes three times since 2014, which hinders both the solution of many problems by means of using this tool of quality assurance of higher education and effective operation of this tool in the market of educational services. The purpose of this article is to try to scientifically understand the mechanism of licensing of educational activi- ties in the field of higher education as one of the external tools to ensure the quality of higher education, including its components, and to make sound proposals for its further improvement. Research methods. The author used such methods of scientific cognition as general philosophical (universal), historical and logical methods, analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, abstraction, generalization, analogy and others. The main results of the study. 1. Licensing of educational activities in the field of higher education is one of the most important tools of the system of external quality assurance of higher education and a mechanism for im- plementing state policy aimed at ensuring the ability of legal entities to provide educational services in higher education. The state is directly responsible to applicants, employers and society for the development of effective regulatory policy in terms of licensing, for the development and continuous improvement of licensing conditions, for the proper organization and continuous operation of the licensing mechanism (objective and fair compliance with licensors, licensing, licenses, impartial and systematic verification of compliance with licensing conditions by each of the participants in the market of educational ser- vices, uncompromising revocation of licenses provided that the fact of non-compliance of free economic conditions with the license conditions). 2. Stability of public relations is one of the important principles of public peace and the formation of trust in the state. Therefore, the state, which is responsible to educa- tion seekers and society for the proper functioning of the market of educational services in higher education and guarantees the ability of its licensed establishments of higher education to carry out relevant activities at the appropriate level, has no moral right to conceptually change the licensing mechanism three times. It is ineffi- cient, impractical and irresponsible. Thus, in particular, only at the level of laws of Ukraine (not to mention the level of Government resolutions and orders of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine), the following con- ceptual changes took place: 1) term licenses issued for a period of 10 years were recognized by the legislator as indefinite without any transitional, balanced and compensatory mechanisms, which cannot be called a balanced state policy, taking into account previous experience in issuing licenses; 2) the licensing mechanism, which was issued specifi- cally for the field of higher education, was replaced by another - common to all types of economic activities (and these different mechanisms were in conflict for some time and “worked” at the same time); 3) the term of the applicant’s compliance with the li- cense conditions before the license was issued was signif- icantly reduced (from two months to 10 days) and the on- site inspections (directly to the establishment of education) were replaced by only a “paper” inspection. In addition, the inspection by “experts” was replaced by an inspection by “civil servants”. All this, taking into account the level of dishonesty in society, did not strengthen the responsibil- ity of the state to society for admission to the market of educational services in higher education (especially new ones), which really meet all licensing conditions and are able to provide services in higher education; 4) licensing “by specialty” (for example, “choreogra- phy” or “law”) has been replaced by licensing “at the level” (for example, a bachelor’s or master’s degree). Such a “simplification” of the licensing procedure for establishments of higher education actually eliminates any responsibility of the state to society for the ability of establishments of higher education to carry out educational activities in the relevant specialties, the list of which is approved by the Government. Scientific novelty of the research results. 1. The mechanism of licensing of educational activities in the field of higher education is considered through the prism (at an angle) of state responsibility for the quality of higher education to society, students and employers and as one of the most effective tools for public policy in higher education. Erroneousness and ineffectiveness of public policy was demonstrated, if it is not based on previous research. Conclusions and the author’s specific suggestions. 1. The quality assurance system of higher education should be the subject of in-depth and serious research, and any legislative changes should be based on the sound results of such research. Science must anticipate legislative change, and managers must base their policy decisions on scientifically sound data. 2. Improvement of the licensing mechanism should be carried out in the direction of delimitation of functions of formation of the state policy and its realization. That is, those who create the “rules of the game” do not have to follow them later, because in this case there is a real conflict of interest. The state, represented by the Ministry of Education and Science, cannot be both a regulator of the market of educational services, the founder of the vast majority of participants in this market (state establish- ments of higher education and research institutions) and a “guarantor of the ability” of all, including state-approved licensing terms. This approach cannot be considered balanced with regard to the responsibility of the state and universities for the quality of higher education. Under such conditions, everyone loses – education seekers, employers, society and the state itself. 3. Licensing should be subject to the specialty for which the establishment of education plans to provide educational services, not the level of education. The license for educational activities should be indefinite, but again – for the specialty, not for the level of education. 4. The quality of higher education cannot be ensured without the fulfillment by establishments of higher educa- tion of the minimum requirements – licensing conditions established by the state and which are the start and foundation of quality assurance. The compliance of an establishment of education with the licensing conditions must be controlled by the consumers of educational ser- vices and the state, and any non-compliance must quickly and inevitably lead to the deprivation of such an estab- lishment of the relevant license in the relevant specialty. Compliance with licensing conditions is the foundation for the formation of an internal system to ensure the quality of educational activities and the quality of higher education and should guarantee education a safe environment (namely in terms of sanitation, fire and environmental safety, no psychological danger, including bullying, etc.) from qualified teaching staff with appropriate educational and professional qualifications, availability of informa- tional support (powerful library fund, including digital, free internet access, advisory support for teachers, etc.), availability and security of infrastructure facilities that can provide, stimulate and maintain a healthy lifestyle in the younger generations. That is, the licensing conditions should include those requirements of the state that make the stay in the establishment of education safe, comfortable and one that promotes and stimulates the acquisition of quality higher education of a certain level and specialty. These requirements also need to be reviewed from time to time, as both universities and society evolve, and what is now considered to be the standard may not be the norm in a few years and requires a proper response from the state and establishments of higher education. At the same time, the improvement of licensing conditions should not lead to the need for establishments of higher education to obtain new perpetual licenses, but each establishment must constantly ensure its compliance with the licensing conditions (taking into account all changes).

The integration of the domestic higher education system into the European Higher Education Area has led to the implementation of a system for upholding academic integrity standards in the practices of higher education institutions. At the legislative level, the new edition of the Law of Ukraine "On Higher Education" was adopted in 2017. The National Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education played a significant role in introducing the system of ethical norms compliance in domestic higher education institutions. Since 2019, the agency has been accrediting educational programs, during which participants in the educational process are required to disclose their practices and procedures for adhering to academic integrity. In October 2019, the National Agency approved "Recommendations for Higher Education Institutions on the Development and Implementation of a University System for Ensuring Academic Integrity" based on the best European and domestic practices. A content analysis of the recommendations indicates that the university system for ensuring academic integrity consists of the following components: 1) normative framework (codes, regulations); 2) structural units and authorized commissions (commissions, support groups); 3) informational base (websites, sections, informational and methodological materials); 4) tools for implementing the principles of academic integrity in the educational and research activities of the university (professional development, online courses, lectures and training, informational-consultative support); 5) tools for monitoring compliance with academic integrity in educational and research activities (surveys of participants in the educational and research process, checking works for signs of academic plagiarism).

The article deals with topical issues of the use of information and communication technologies in the process of learning in institutions of higher education in the People's Republic of China. The purpose of the article is to determine the role and significance of the use of information and communication technologies in the training of music-pedagogical workers in the process of education in the People's Republic of China. The regulatory documents of the People's Republic of China that determine the development and implementation of computer technologies in the educational process of higher education institutions were analyzed, in particular: "Action Plan for Informatization of Education 2.0" (2018), "Order on the Proper Organization and Management of Online Education in Colleges and Universities during pandemic period" (2020), "Specifications for the construction of digital campuses in colleges and universities (project) (2021), the national standard "Chinese Information Technology Coding Set" (2022), etc. The task of the action plan for the informatization of education in the country has been revealed. Based on the analysis of the scientific and pedagogical literature, the features and advantages of using the Internet+ technology were determined. The following modern models of teaching musical disciplines at the university using information and communication technologies are presented and characterized: "Musical catechism", "Musical micro-lessons", "Public open platform WeChat", "Mobile APPs". It was concluded that the use of modern information and communication technologies in the training of music and pedagogical workers in the process of education in the People's Republic of China contributes to the improvement of the quality of the process and results of education, the formation of information and communication competence among students, and readiness for the wide use of modern technologies in future professional activities. The prospects of further scientific research, which consist in the implementation of the experience of Chinese teachers regarding the formation of information and communication competence of future music and pedagogical workers in higher education institutions of Ukraine, have been determined.

Taking into account the current state of development of higher education and science, the peculiarities of the introduction of the principles of academic integrity in the structure of higher education institutions are indicated in the study. The essence of the concept of academic integrity was clarified basing on the study of normative documents and regulations (Law of Ukraine on Education and Law of Ukraine on Higher Education), recommendations for higher education institutions on the development and implementation of a university system of academic integrity, approved by the National Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education. Main vocation of academic integrity, its features of compliance and application in educational and scientific activities of all participants in the educational process are revealed in the study. On the example of H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University it was found that higher education institutions, guided by the above laws and recommendations, operates on their own principles of academic integrity in view of the peculiarities of the free economic zone, its specifics, areas of training future professionals and scientific activities. An example of a university system for ensuring the principles of academic integrity and ethics of academic relations is revealed, which consists of five components: regulatory framework, information base, structural units and authorized commissions, tools for implementation and control. It is noted about the creation of such a system on the basis of the recommendations for higher education institutions on the development and implementation of the university system of academic integrity, approved by the decision of the National Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education. The activity of separate structural links of the educational institution on realization of the principles of academic integrity is analyzed. A number of promising ways to implement the principles of academic integrity in higher education institutions is proposed. Among them are the development of normative documents of the Free Economic Zone, information materials, banners, methodical instructions, preparation of videos, holding popular science events, etc.

The relevance of the study was due to the need to implement and develop digital tools and systems for any specialties, in particular the transport industry and logistics, professional education in labour protection, and technological education. The purpose of the article was to substantiate the planning of the development of information and digital technologies in higher education institutions. In the research process, general scientific and pedagogical research methods were used: theoretical analysis (comparative, systemic, analytical-synthetic, inductive, deductive) to substantiate the strategic plan for the development of information and digital technologies in higher education institutions; synthesis (general scientific, intersectoral, interdisciplinary) to substantiate the unity of interconnected tools and systems in higher education institutions, formulation of a conclusion; classification, systematisation, generalisation with the aim of generalising methods, electronic resources, interactive tools, platforms, etc. The article was devoted to the problem of development of information and digital technologies in higher education institutions. The relevance and necessity of developing information and digital technologies were substantiated to determine: planning, implementation and development of digital tools and systems; steps to modernise curricula; training teachers in digital skills; creation of electronic resources for learning. A graph of the development of information and digital technologies in higher education institutions was developed. The specific directions of its development were substantiated: needs analysis, improving the level of qualification of scientific and pedagogical staff, modernisation of curricula, creation of electronic resources, implementation of analytics systems, ensuring access, security and confidentiality, support and development, evaluation and optimisation. The elements of the development of information and digital technologies were substantiated. The practical significance of this work is to determine the planning of the development of information and digital technologies in higher education institutions in the relevant areas, which allowed to predict the increase in the professional development of scientific and pedagogical workers, to provide high-quality education to students and trainees in difficult conditions

The article deals with the issues of motivation of teaching staff as a complex category that includes several motivational aspects that affect the involvement of the teaching staff in the educational process. The article is based on the results of the study of staff motivation. The main research has been conducted since 2002 on the materials of organizations of the automobile market. The results of previous research were published in early articles of the authors; additional research on the application of vector motivational theory to scientific and pedagogical personnel was conducted in the period from 2007 to 2018. The research was conducted on the basis of observations and surveys of teaching staff of at least 30 organizations of higher and secondary vocational education, and motivational experiments at the level of departments and institutes in at least five organizations of professional education in Russia. The article touches the following results:1. A clarification of the concept of human capital capacity of a scientific and pedagogical worker with the consideration of the features of intellectual work of higher school teachers. 2. A description of the main motives that form the motivational space of employees in the pedagogical system taking into account the specific features of the studied area. According to the authors, such main motives are classified into monetary, conservative, image, hygienic and self-actualization ones. 3. A proposal of the concept of effective use of the university’s human potential on the basis of a five-vector main motivational space. The concept is a modified theory of human capital management of industrial enterprises and incorporates the specifics of managing scientific and pedagogical staff in educational institutions. 4. A presentation of the author’s opinion on the reasons of reduction of the effectiveness of innovation in higher education institutions and professional depreciation of human capital based on a vector motivational model. 5. A consideration of the best practices of implementing innovative solutions in higher education institutions and an explanation of their impact on the performance of teaching staff in the context of the proposed motivational theory.KeywordsMotivationHuman capital capacity, higher education, research and teaching staff, monetary motiveConservative motiveSelf-actualization motiveImage motiveHygiene motiveJEL CodeM540J82M51O15

To fully utilize the guarantees provided by the state, the institutions of higher education are forced to choose different scenarios for the organization of their activities and take into account not only the general situation in Ukraine but also the possibility of creating a safe working environment in the neighborhood or within the institution of higher education itself. Therefore, the study of the needs of scientific and pedagogical workers and students to find the possibilities of providing them with appropriate resources and the development of conceptual bases for the regulation of the work of scientific and pedagogical workers during the time of war are relevant. The authors draw attention to the fact that during the regulation of labor activities during the wartime period some problems arise that require prompt resolution, as they are based on the needs of scientific and pedagogical workers and students of higher education. The article also emphasizes the specifics of the work of the above-mentioned category of employees which are determined by the performance of their functional duties. After summarizing scientific research findings, practical cases, and the needs of scientific and pedagogical workers obtained as a result of the conducted survey, the conceptual foundation for the regulation of the working activity of such employees in remote and mixed modes of employment is established. It is determined that the main components of the regulations for the organization of the labor activities of scientific and pedagogical workers in wartime conditions should be: general provisions; work and rest time; workplace organization and workplace safety; remuneration for work; social guarantees; responsibility of the parties and conflict resolution. Special attention is paid to the safety of all participants in the educational process, which must contain the specified regulations. An emphasis is placed on the need to approve a clear algorithm of teachers' actions during different work situations in the event of an air raid as well as after its completion. The main digital tools that are most often used by scientific and pedagogical workers during remote work are highlighted. Proposals were submitted regarding the working time beginning and end as well as the provisions for regulated and unregulated breaks which take into account the working schedule established in the higher education institution and the actual situation in the region where it is situated. It is substantiated that such types of work as scientific, organizational, and career guidance should be regulated with an individual approach. However, firmly established final deadlines are necessary. An emphasis is placed on the need to coordinate these tasks with the work plan of the relevant department, faculty (institute), and current strategic goals of the higher education institution. The implementation of the above recommendations will let to normalize the educational process during emergency conditions, and during wartime, in particular, to maintain the quality of higher education at an appropriate level, to regulate and improve the use of technology when conducting classes, to further develop distance education which will allow expanding the range of potential applicants of higher education in Ukrainian universities in the future.

The article is devoted to the analysis of the results of the survey conducted with scientific and pedagogical workers of 23 higher education institutions which was aimed at revealing the attitude of scientific and pedagogical workers to student self-government bodies’ activity and its influence on the development of higher education students’ leadership qualities. Emphasis is placed on the relevance of the chosen research subject, determined by the significant impact of student self-government on various aspects of student life in higher education institutions. The extent to which scientific and pedagogical workers of the higher education institutions are informed about the activities of student self-government bodies and their opinion about the leadership qualities of higher education seekers on the basis of a survey of 104 respondents is revealed. The author’s questionnaire consisted of three blocks of questions. The first block made it possible to collect information about the respondents. With the help of the second block, the scientific and pedagogical workers’ awareness of the activities of student self-government bodies was revealed, and in the third, the scientific and pedagogical workers’ assessment of the influence of student self-government bodies on the development of leadership qualities of higher education students was defined. The α-Cronbach reliability coefficient was calculated in order to check the internal consistency of the questionnaire. Based on the statements of the respondents, it was proven that the representatives of the teaching community are familiar with the activities of the student self-government bodies in the higher education institutions according to their place of work and the methods of student self-government. More than half of the surveyed scientific and pedagogical workers consider the influence of student self-government bodies on the organization of the educational process in higher education institutions and the development of leadership qualities of higher education students to be significant. Constructive judgments of the respondents regarding the improvement of student self-governance activities for the successful development of leadership qualities of higher education students are given.

Purpose This paper aims to investigate how global university rankings interact with quality and quality assurance in higher education along the two lines of investigation, that is, from the perspective of their relationship with the concept of quality (assurance) and the development of quality assurance policies in higher education, with particular emphasis on accreditation as the prevalent quality assurance approach. Design/methodology/approach The paper firstly conceptualises quality and quality assurance in higher education and critically examines the methodological construction of the four selected world university rankings and their references to “quality”. On this basis, it answers the two “how” questions: How is the concept of quality (assurance) in higher education perceived by world university rankings and how do they interact with quality assurance and accreditation policies in higher education? Answers are provided through the analysis of different documentary sources, such as academic literature, glossaries, international studies, institutional strategies and other documents, with particular focus on official websites of international ranking systems and individual higher education institutions, media announcements, and so on. Findings The paper argues that given their quantitative orientation, it is quite problematic to perceive world university rankings as a means of assessing or assuring the institutional quality. Like (international) accreditations, they may foster vertical differentiation of higher education systems and institutions. Because of their predominant accountability purpose, they cannot encourage improvements in the quality of higher education institutions. Practical implications Research results are beneficial to different higher education stakeholders (e.g. policymakers, institutional leadership, academics and students), as they offer them a comprehensive view on rankings’ ability to assess, assure or improve the quality in higher education. Originality/value The existing research focuses principally either on interactions of global university rankings with the concept of quality or with processes of quality assurance in higher education. The comprehensive and detailed analysis of their relationship with both concepts thus adds value to the prevailing scholarly debates.

The article is devoted to the analysis of the higher education system of Romania. Peculiarities of functioning of higher education institutions of different forms of ownership in the conditions of autonomy are determined. The Romanian practical experience of supporting students educational and professional orientation and promoting their professional inclusion in the labour market is noteworthy. The activities of advisory departments in each institution of higher education regarding students choice of a professional route should be borrowed from Ukraine.