WAYS OF ENSURING THE COMPLIANCE OF THE ACTIVITIES OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS WITH MODERN CHALLENGES

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to identify ways to ensure that the educational process in higher education institutions meets the modern requirements of social development. The methodology of the comprehensive study allowed to identify priority areas of adaptation of universities to changes in the external environment; to summarize the main comprehensive measures to ensure the quality of education; to substantiate the feasibility of organizing continuous monitoring of the market of educational services to promptly provide the educational institution with the information necessary to make effective decisions; to generalize and supplement the principles of the adaptive process in higher education institutions; to develop recommendations for the formation of a support system for the adaptive process in higher education institutions. Methodology. The study is based on a systematic approach to the substantiation of the nature and directions of adaptation of the HEI to changes in the external environment, to the formation of a system to support the adaptation process of the HEI. It is shown that the priority directions of adaptation of the HEI are determined in relation to a particular educational institution and should include: reforming of the educational institution in accordance with modern requirements; implementation of market ideology; innovative development of the educational process; provision of modern education; development of interaction with employers – customers of educational services; diversification of funding sources. The scheme of information support for HEI adaptation to the requirements of the external environment was developed. The study of adaptive activities of successful HEIs allowed to complement the principles of reform and transformation of the organizational and economic foundations of HEIs with the principles of adaptive process organization, such as the practical experience of purposeful modernization of other HEIs to solve similar problems; analysis of the current situation of the HEI, the market of educational services and the prospects for their development; reliance on the corporate culture of the team; integrated systematic approach to economic and social problems; project approach to the formation and implementation of measures to ensure the adaptation program. The results of the study show that the system to support the process of adaptation in higher education is a set of management tools, which are based on the principles of adaptation process organization; adaptation strategy is aimed at improving the quality of education, competence of graduates; policy of adaptive management and reform of the educational process; development of market logic; development and implementation of programs to improve educational and scientific activities and their organic combination; diversification of educational activity; internal institutional restructuring; application of collective and individual forms and methods of economic, social, moral, psychological and other types of stimulation to intensify the adaptive process. Practical implications. An algorithm for forming a system to support the adaptation process in higher education institutions, including organizational and economic tools of institutional support for continuous adaptation process to coordinate the activities of the HEI with the dynamic conditions of the external environment, was developed. Value/originality. Determination of ways to ensure compliance of the educational process in the university with modern requirements of social development should be based on understanding the essence of the concept of adaptation of the university to changes in the external environment as a process of purposeful change in the educational and scientific activities of the university and its units to the current and future changes in the external environment to ensure effective functioning, addressing certain goals and objectives of development, compliance of graduates' competencies with the requirements of the current and prospective labor market, competitiveness of the institution on the market of educational services; the essence of adaptive management as a process of creating conditions for the implementation in the educational process of society's requirements for quality, up-to-date knowledge received by graduates of the educational institution, compliance with the requirements of the current and future economy.