PROFILE-RELEVANT EMPLOYABILITY OF UNIVERSITY GRADUATES: SOCIAL NETWORK DATA ANALYSIS

The employment of college graduates has always been the focus issue of the whole society. Affected by the COVID-19, college graduates are facing a severe employment situation. In the present study, we explore the impacts of the COVID-19 on the employment of college graduates. We explore the employment promotion measures introduced by Chinese government and colleges and universities through a quick review and illustrate the difficulties that college graduates face. Furthermore, the present study explores the impacts of the COVID-19 on five aspects of the employment of college graduates: recruitment demand reduce, employment competition rise, employment channels change, psychological anxiety increase and employment structural contradiction intensify. In addition, we conclude that the employment promotion measures introduced by Chinese government and colleges and universities in respond to the impacts of the COVID-19 on the employment of college graduates have significantly promoted the employment of college graduates to a large extent and we provide implications based on the application of the study. The findings of the present study are of great significance for all countries worldwide to better cope with various similar emergency events, to alleviate employment pressure and to promote better and fuller employment of college graduates.

As an important part of human resources, college graduates are the most vigorous, energetic, and creative group in society. The employment of college graduates is not only related to the vital interests of graduates themselves and the general public, but also related to the sustainable and healthy development of higher education and the country’s prosperity through science and education. However, the outbreak of COVID-19 at the end of 2019 has left China’s domestic labor and employment market in severe condition, which has a significant impact on the employment of college graduates. Based on the situation, the Chinese government has formulated a series of employment promotion policies for college graduates in accordance with local conditions to solve the current difficulties in employment of college graduates during the COVID-19Pandemic. Do these policies meet the expectations of the people? Is the policy implementation process reasonable? All these issues need to be tested and clarified urgently. This paper takes the employment promotion policy of college graduates under the COVID-19 as the research object, uses the PMC index model to screen the policy texts, obtains two perfect policy texts, and uses the Weibo comments to construct the evaluation model of policy measures support degree to analyze the social effects of employment promotion policies for college graduates. The results show that the public’s support degree with the employment promotion policies for college graduates under COVID-19 needs to be improved. Among them, the public has a neutral attitude towards position measures and transference measures but is obviously dissatisfied with subsidy measures and channel measures. Finally, suggestions for improving policy are given to make the employment policy in line with public opinion and effectively relieve the job hunting pressure of college graduates.

With the enlargement of graduate flexible employment, its category and characteristics have also diversified. Therefore, it is of great importance to optimize and improve relevant policies, social security and educational propaganda to promote the flexible employment of university graduates.

The article describes positive experience of the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), which has risen significantly in QS World University Rankings, both in the overall assessment and in the subject ranking. The authors provide factual material and give recommendations for a step-by-step strategy for reorganising educational and scientific activities of the university with a view to increasing the quality of education services, which include the allocation of priority areas; application of new forms of work; development of image strategies in the field of scientific activity and cooperation with employers. The study is based on the analysis of the methodology of the world’s leading rankings. It also focuses on the implementation of the road map of RUDN University and other Russian universities. To reveal best practices, the authors break down the activities of RUDN University while implementing the 5-100 programme and other activities with a view to promoting the university in international university rankings and enhancing its reputation. Study results suggest that the most important steps in determining the direction in the development of the university are the selection of priority areas of activity, organisation of new forms of work, the attraction of leading international and Russian scientists in a certain field of activity for cooperation, the support and development of scientific projects, cooperation with scientific, educational, practical and industrial organisations in Russia and the world, development and implementation of a number of image strategies in the field of scientific activity, and working with employers to organise internships and further employment of university graduates.

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.

Introduction. Organisations’ performance evaluation results have now become an important management resource. Therefore, it is not only compliance with the targets set by the founder that is relevant for the organisation, but also inclusion in the TOP prestigious ratings list, both of general nature and set for a particular activity. The purpose of the research is designing the research performance forecasts for universities and ratings on their basis by simulation modelling methods, as well as the formation of managerial decisions aimed to promote a specific university in the rating list. Materials and methods. The research materials are represented by the data on the number of university staff publications in the leading scientometric databases Web of Science, Scopus, RSCI, and the numbers of academic staff (research and teaching staff) in the period from 2013 to 2021. The methods of mathematical and simulation modelling, as well as the methods of descriptive statistics and comparative analysis of data were used in the research. Results. The dynamics of scientific activity indicators for TOP-50 universities until 2030 was modelled within the framework of studying the methodology for the formation of a specific well-known national rating of Russian universities, on the basis of sixteen universities from the above. The managerial decisions projects allowing a university which is not included in the TOP-50 to get into this list, with regard for minimisation of financial expenses, are proposed by the example of Petrozavodsk State University. It is proposed to implement the said management decision projects through involvement in publication activities of the university academic staff that has not had any annual publications within several preceding years. Following the simulation modelling of projected values of scientific performance indicators, it was revealed that in case of annual increase in the number of publications by 25% on the average, Petrozavodsk State University can essentially improve its positions in the rating of scientific activity and take a position in a range between 40 and 50 by 2025. Discussion and conclusion. The obtained models make it possible to prognosticate not only the total number of articles at particular Russian universities, but also their positions in the rating, both in case of preservation of current tendencies and realisation of different management scenarios. From the practical point of view, the presented results can be useful for the university administration in terms of analysis and management of the scientific work at the university, with the view to improve the academic performance and achieve the set goals.

Implementation of the priority project «Export of education in sociological dimension annotation due to historical, geopolitical and economic reasons, higher education in the regions of Russia is in different conditions in implementation of the federal project «Export of Education». The main component of the project, which universities are focused on in organizing international activities, today is the indicator - the number of foreign students in a certain ratio with the number of university students. However, the key strategic goal of the project is to increase the competitiveness of Russian education in the international market of educational services due to the attractiveness of domestic educational programs for foreign citizens, improve their living conditions during the period of study in Russia, which, ultimately, should significantly increase the amount of revenue from export of educational services. Organization of international activities and work with foreign students in universities, as well as the implementation of the indicator «number of foreign students», within the framework of the project, became the subject of the presented study, the main methods of which were determined: non-standardized interviews of leaders in charge of international activities of universities, and a survey foreign students of universities of the Khabarovsk territory. The obtained results allow us state that the project «Education Export» does not take into account the regional conditions for its implementation, the implementation of quantitative indicators is not additionally funded and is left to the mercy of universities. Foreign students of the region do not demonstrate complete satisfaction with education and organization of life. All this, on the one hand, is explained by the peculiarities of the motivation for their stay in the universities of Russia - the Khabarovsk territory, on the other hand, by the domestic specifics of the higher education system.

The COVID-19 epidemic has brought a huge impact on the employment of college graduates. Employment pressure has become the main factor inducing psychological problems for college graduates [1]. The graduating students in the critical period are prone to psychological confusion and bad mentality. This will not only affect the employment and life of college graduates, but also cause various social problems. Therefore, it is very important to adjust the employment psychology of college graduates. This paper analyzes the employment situation and the psychological performance of college graduates after the COVID-19 epidemic in the face of employment pressure, and proposes corresponding countermeasures to ease the employment pressure in this situation.

This research focuses on the employment choice issues of college graduates under the background of the rural revitalization strategy. With the in-depth implementation of the rural revitalization strategy, the rural demand for talents is growing, while college graduates are facing employment pressure in cities. The rural revitalization strategy has rich connotations, and talents play a key role in it. The employment of college graduates shows characteristics such as a cold supply and hot demand, and seeking stability in job hunting. Urban-rural differences have a significant impact on their employment. Personal, family, and social factors affect the rural employment choices of college graduates. Under rural revitalization, college graduates can return to their hometowns to serve as village cadres, rural teachers, or start businesses, but they also face challenges such as insufficient demand for jobs, constraints of public opinion, and backward infrastructure. To promote the rural employment of college graduates, the government should strengthen policy guidance and provide support for employment and entrepreneurship; improve the education and training system to enhance the employment ability of graduates; strengthen the construction of social service systems and improve the rural living environment. Future research can focus on the relationship between rural industrial development and the employment of college graduates, the psychology of graduates in rural employment, diversified rural employment models, and the interaction between rural cultural construction and employment.

Introduction. In the context of socio-economic changes in the world, reflecting significant transformations in the field of labor and youth employment, the demand for optimal employment of university graduates as a significant indicator of the quality of professional training of young specialists and replenishment of the labor market with a qualified labor force that ensures the implementation of progressive development goals of the world community is actualized. At the same time, universities pay insufficient attention to socio-pedagogical assistance to the employment of graduates and its strategies that increase the effectiveness of the first entry of young people into labor activity, their adaptation opportunities and competitive advantages in the labor market. Purpose of the article: the purpose of the article: to develop and experimentally test strategies for socio-pedagogical assistance to the employment of university graduates. Research methods. The experiment was attended by 448 senior students of Russian universities. A set of valid diagnostic methods was used to determine the level of formation of a culture of employment of students as a result of the implementation of strategies: a test conversation to identify complex knowledge about productive employment; survey in the field of professional plans and readiness for upcoming employment; self-monitoring questionnaire; methodology for studying the motivation of a professional career; self-efficacy scale; methodology for assessing career orientations; methodology for studying the need for self-development; methodology for assessing self-presentation skills. The validity of the obtained data was tested using Pearson χ2 criteria. Results. As a result of the development and implementation of a set of strategies for socio-pedagogical assistance to the employment of university graduates in the experimental group, a significant increase in the level of formation of the culture of employment of students was recorded (χ2 emp = 17.584) compared to students of the control group who did not show positive dynamics in the level of measured professional and personal characteristics (χ2 emp = 0.238) during experimental work. The data suggest a positive increase in high and medium levels of student employment culture. Discussion and conclusion. It was revealed that the use of strategies of social and pedagogical assistance to the employment of university graduates (updating the professional and personal potential of young specialists; sociopedagogical orientation of students to successful self-presentation; activating professional self-determination and the right to choose; scaffolding) determines the effectiveness of the formation of a culture of employment for students and sets a benchmark for increasing their competitiveness in the labor market.

This article draws on a ‘within-subject’ design of employment of university graduates in China over two different periods, namely 2008 and 2014. This research was conducted based on semi-structured interviews and secondary data analysis with four groups of key stakeholders including universities, government agencies, labor-market intermediaries and university graduates. The ‘within-subject’ design enabled an in-depth exploration of how changes at formal and informal institutions affect the employment of university graduates in a fast-changing labor market. The results show that lack of institutional interactions, socially constructed norms that influence graduates’ perceptions and ambiguous directions of educational policies significantly affect university graduates’ employment.

Problem and goal. The task of increasing the number of foreign students twice by 2024, set before the Russian universities by the country’s leadership in the framework of the national project “Education”, will require a revision of the traditional approach to the recruitment of foreign students. It is obvious that in conditions of limited organizational, human and financial resources of the country’s universities will require fundamentally new forms and technologies of recruiting, and in the future and new forms of training of students. The article deals with the actual problem of implementation and realization of the online model of export of Russian education in the conditions of expansion of export activity of Russian universities for the recruitment of foreign students in Africa. The purpose of the described study was to determine the basic conditions for the implementation of the online model of export of Russian education in Africa, identifying the target countries of Africa, promising for recruiting students. Methodology. The definition of the features and conditions of the online model of education export was carried out on the basis of the analysis of the best practices of foreign universities (TOP-500) and Russian universities (participants of Project 5-100). The main conditions for the implementation of this online model of education exports, the availability of appropriate infrastructure, the potential effectiveness of the export model in Africa (target countries) are analyzed. Results. The study revealed that the use of the online model of export of education by Russian universities in Africa, based on the use of telecommunication technologies, can affect the increase in the number of Foreign students and have a positive impact on the effectiveness of recruiting activities of the Russian University in modern conditions through the introduction of online recruiting methods of recruitment of foreign students, attracting a new audience of foreign students, the implementation of online training in Africa, which, ultimately, greetings to the increase in university income from educational activities received from foreign sources. Conclusion. It is shown that the use of the online model of education exports can have a significant impact on the competitiveness of Russian universities in Africa and the increase in the number of foreign students enrolled in online programs of Russian universities in their target countries.

The author attempts to study the place of education in Russia's “soft pow-er” policy. In order to achieve this goal, a survey was conducted among undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students at the leading Russian universities with the largest number of foreign students. In particular, the satisfaction of foreign citizens with living conditions, education, facilities and equipment of the universities was analyzed. In addition, it was found that when choosing a country (university), the citizens of the CIS countries, to a greater extent than the Chinese and Indians, were guided by the feedback of university graduates, advice from their close environment, and the conventional media (television, radio, and the press). It was also found that foreign students, when choosing a university in Russia to enter, rely on the resources of their family or family group (economic, symbolic, cultural, social capital), that is, they act rationally. If students cannot afford to be educated straight away at a prestigious university in the Russian Federation, they first enter the university in Russia that they can, and then plan to continue their studies at the master's or postgraduate level of the desired university. It has been proven that applicants from wealthy families are guided by the university's rating when choosing a university. Applicants from families that belong to the group of moderate means, when choosing a university, focus on such institutions of higher education, which are easy to enter, just to leave their country and never to return. It has also been found that applicants from neighboring countries seek higher education in Russia, as many of them know Russian, but do not know English, Portuguese, German, French at the appropriate level and cannot afford to study at the highly ranked Western universities and in developed East Asian countries. Most applicants evaluate the quality of education by the level of GDP growth, the higher the GDP growth, the more willing they are to enroll in universities in a given country.

The article aims at characterizing the institutional models of Russian university students’ scientific mentoring in the context of managing research activities. The institutional practices of scientific mentoring are an effective way to make an early academic career, to involve and retain talented students in the field of research and development, to popularize and strengthen the social status of science. Meanwhile, the traditional institutional forms existing in Russian universities should be developed and renewed. In addition, some practices of scientific mentoring are informal, which means that they do not have organizational support and conditions for reproduction. We focus on scientific mentoring for students of the first and second levels of higher education (bachelors, specialists, master students), who are considered as a «reserve» of the community of scientific youth. Our conclusions are based on the data of a sociological study carried out in 2023. Therein, we used methods of systematic analysis of scientific literature, of Russian and foreign universities’ websites content. The study included an online survey of 3032 students of Russian universities. The theoretical task is to substantiate the features of scientific mentoring as a scientific and educational institution. We highlight the institutional features and functions of scientific mentoring. Based on empirical data, we present the content of scientific mentoring institutional models, which have developed in modern foreign and Russian universities. The online survey of students showed their involvement in research activities, motivation for it, and the level of their scientific activity. The results of our research can be used in practice – to develop and improve scientific mentoring programs in Russian universities. The paper in general is the first attempt to interpret scientific mentoring from the standpoint of an institutional approach. We summarize the Soviet experience of scientific mentoring, as well as its modern institutional practices in foreign and Russian universities.

The article analyzes the specific aspects of interaction between government, businesses and higher education in the Russian youth labor market. The carried out analysis of documents regulating the youth employment enabled us to identify the basic aspects of state regulation in this sphere that can facilitate the cooperation between businesses and universities. The authors conducted a survey among the competent representatives of higher education and business to investigate how these parties interact when solving the problems of youth employment. The research identifies the main forms of the interaction between business and universities in Russia. The authors concluded that there is a current trend of strengthening interaction between universities and businesses regarding the employment of university graduates, although the state still plays a significant role in regulating their employment.