Ukraine's entry into the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and the resulting processes of modernization of higher education institutions in line with the European values of openness, democracy, innovation, and mobility require fundamental changes in social communication in the research and educational sphere. In the focus of attention of the authors of this article – two most important parameters of social communication in the research and educational sphere: semiotic and axiological – formation of meanings (culture, values, mission, vision of higher education institutions) and interactive – exchange of meanings (practices of interaction on the horizontal and vertical levels between participants of research and educational process). The article is devoted to the analysis of the challenges of the development of social communication in the research and educational process of institutions of higher education (the subject-object nature of social communication, the gap between the system of higher education and the labor market in the process of developing educational programs, etc.), as well as the prospects for its development. The concept of Subject-Subject communication «Students as partners» is considered, which is embodied in the idea of competence-oriented and student-centered approaches to teaching and learning and is one of the basic principles in the process of preparing educational programs. Achieving integral learning outcomes, which are general educational and special (subject) competencies of higher education students, allows them to apply acquired knowledge, abilities, skills, methods of activity for creative problem solving in professional activities. In the context of socio-communicative practices, the role and place of the guarantor as a key subject of the organization of the research and educational process is defined. It emphasizes the importance of combining the interests of the state, education, science and business, as well as the use of reverse design principles in expert teamwork in the development and implementation of educational programs.