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The article is concerned with the issues of diagnostics of the status and identification of tendencies in the development of the international competitive potential of research universities of Ukraine. The dynamics of rating positions of the higher education institutions of Ukraine in the international rating system QS World University Rankings 2012–2019 is researched. It is determined that among seven national research universities present in the global rating for 2019 the undisputed leader is V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. An analytical assessment of the international competitive potential of research universities in Ukraine has identified significant disparities in: the overall contingent of Ukrainian students; the proportion of the number of Ukrainian students as to the education and qualification levels (EQL) of «Bachelor» and «Master»; the general contingent of foreign students; the proportion of the number of foreign students as to the EQL of «Bachelor» and «Master»; the total number of Ukrainian scientific and pedagogical workers; the proportion of Ukrainian and foreign scientific and pedagogical workers. The analysis of the number of institutions of higher education in Ukraine of the III.–IV. accreditation levels allowed to identify a tendency towards their reduction, which in turn will lead to higher quality education at those universities. The author presents fourteen Ukrainian higher education institutions with significant research potential, with the status of a research university in the period of 2009–2014. These institutions should become objects of a promising development, in order to increase their international competitive potential. It is necessary to develop clear criteria for obtaining and verification of the status of research university in Ukraine. It is important that these requirements correlate with the requirements of the world-class universities that are leaders at the international level. After that, work should begin on the formation and implementation of a strategic program for the development of international competitive potential of research universities in Ukraine.

The article allocates and systematizes the stages of legal support for the institutional formation and development of research universities in Ukraine. For this purpose 40 of normative-legal acts are researched that in different periods formed economic preconditions for regulation of development of research universities in Ukraine. The author’s own vision of the stages of development is as follows: the first stage (1991–2007) – «origination» of the main legislative documents regulating relations in the scientific and scientific-technical spheres of the independent and democratic Ukraine; the second stage (2007–2014) – «formation», when the relevant normative legal acts were adopted, legalizing research universities in the institutional environment of Ukraine; unfortunately, between 2014 and 2015, passed the third stage – «decline». The government was forced to abolish the research status of higher education institutions in order to balance the State financial system; from the first half of 2015 began the fourth stage - «revival», characterized by the adoption of a number of important regulations for the entry of the Ukrainian system of education in the market environment of the EU and the world; after accomplishing of the above mentioned tasks there will be the fifth stage – «strategic development» that will ensure the gradual granting of the status of the research university to higher education institutions corresponding to such level. It is substantiated that at the stage of strategic development it is necessary to start formation of the national scientific service centers of research universities of Ukraine on the basis of innovative principles. For this purpose it will be necessary to develop a comprehensive nationwide program of development of the national research universities of Ukraine, which should become the center of creation and commercialization of modern technologies. In this context, there is an urgent need to adopt a new law of Ukraine «On transfer of technologies», which will provide modern opportunities of the civil-legal relations in the formation of an open market of products appeared as a result of intellectual activity.

The object of this research is the activity of 25 leading research universities in the world. One of the most problematic issues is the in-depth analysis of the ranking indicators of world-class research universities in order to identify the priorities for the development of research universities in the European Union. The following scientific methods were used in the research: generalizations, analysis, synthesis, graphical method, and also comparison method. The study is based on data on the global university rankings in QS World University Rankings 2018 and empirical data from publicly available sources provided by the research universities. The article also systematizes the scientific views of the leading scientists of Europe and the world on the course of development of research universities and analyses the experience of implementing joint scientific projects in the EU countries. The importance of international cooperation between research universities in the fields of academic mobility and scientific research is underlined due to the fact that the global challenges and prospects that the research universities in the European Union and the world are facing are transient and create a tough competitive environment. Strengthening their leadership potential and developing entrepreneurial thinking has been revealed as a modern trend in the development of research universities. The article characterizes the 25 best world-class research universities, and the factors which have enabled them to uncover their strengths and systematize the key areas of in-depth specialization. The contrasting differences between the analysed research universities are shown, as there are significant disparities in the total number of students, foreign students and staff of research universities, showing fundamentally different approaches to the organization of educational and research processes, even within a single country. This is due to the fact that the ratio of student per staff representative significantly affects the quality of education. The author proposes the key development priorities for research universities in the European Union, which consist in intensified work on: academic reputation; the number of foreign students; reputation of employers; improvement of the ratio of the number of students to the number of staff; improvement of quality and increase in the number of citations of scientific publications by university researchers; increasing the share of the university’s participation in international educational and scientific networks of other countries and continents.

The article substantiates the author’s own definition of the essence of economic category of «development of research university» as a transition of the management system of research university into a new status under the influence of irreversible, focused and natural changes of technique and technology of organization of educational and scientific activity. This has allowed to put forward and substantiate the hypothesis that the greatest efficiency of development is carried out by the strategy of perfection of priority potentials and spheres of research university at the expense of additional synergistic effect. Also a new management category of «strategic control of development of research university» is introduced and an author’s own definition of it is proposed: a process of formation and implementation of strategic goals and programs to ensure the transition of research university in a new quality as a way to respond to challenges in the internal and external environment to achieve the general mission of the institution. This model provides implementation of process of strategic management and comprehensively develops perspective potentials and spheres of activity of research university. This process is described in six main stages based on the change of the management system of research university at the point of bifurcation, when the old system of research university loses the dominant role under the influence of new attractors that bring the system to a new status of quality change.

The article substantiates the author’s vision of the mission of modern research university, which is based on the combination of scientific research, training, service to the State, and disclosure of competence of innovative thinking, which represents an effective synthesis of the processes of cognition and creation. The author proposes to add the fourth stage and component to the development of the research university mission, which has begun in 21st century and is characterized by rapid expansion of digital technologies. The new mission reflects the full divertissement of the university phenomenon, which synthesizes the research and training activities. The author’s definition of the category of «research university» and the suggestion of the author’s own understanding of the categories of «world class university», «national university», and «corporate university» have provided for disclosure of their comprehensive content in accordance with the real situation of the contemporary development of science and education at the global level. The generalized areas of manifestations of the phenomenon of research university have allowed to determine ten indicators of internal purpose for the social and economic benefit, which are carried out by research universities for the benefit of mankind. The author presents his own vision of the hierarchy of universities in the modern global environment, which is based on the dominant advantage of high-tech digital universities, which are already elaborating the future of science and education and create possibilities to perform new functions, which classical universities cannot implement.

The study rethinks the role of research university as a social and economic phenomenon. It has been determined that the phenomenon of research university consists in a versatile disclosure of innovation potential of talented personalities, capable of scientific inquiry. 45 literary sources, representing the opinions of authoritative scholars of the international level in the sphere of creation and development of research universities in different time periods, are systematized and analyzed. As determined by the author, research university had evolved and acquired new forms through the centuries, but its fundamental importance in the development of society remained unchanged, having no alternative. The development of 21st century is characterized by rapid expansion of digital technologies and, at the same time, there’s a new era of trials and transformations for the university phenomenon. Those universities, which lead the processes of development, implementation and wide use of digital technologies, can expect a successful strategic perspective along with consistent development. Regarding those which ignore digital technologies, the author notes that they will be bound to technological backwardness and gradual curtailment of their activities.

The key directions for the long-term development of scientific libraries of research universities in Ukraine are determined to improve their strategic management system on the way toward entry into the European competitive environment. The scientific ideas, practice and legislative bases in the field of the development of scientific libraries in the European Union are highlighted. There carried out comparative characteristic of the traditional library and the modern one with the purpose of revealing distinctions of their functioning and development. The content of the seventeen main contrasts that distinguish these libraries is identified and described. On the basis of the analysis of the European experience, there identified and characterized twelve key directions for the further strategic development of Ukraine’s scientific libraries, which are in the improvement of digital content; library space; systems of automation of service processes; observance of copyrights; commercialization of library services; international exchange of the library information; depository of master works; updating of equipment; a consolidated system for detecting plagiarism; introduction of new related services; alternative financing systems; systems for staff development. The results of this study will be useful for leaders of research universities and their scientific libraries, as well as scientists and practitioners in the field of strategic management of development of research universities.

The article researches the national system of ranking of research universities of Poland «Perspektywy» («Perspectives»). It is determined that the rating systems of research universities are powerful stimuli for development of these institutions. The article analyzes the scientific idea, tendencies of development of approaches to estimation and development of research of the universities of Poland. It is determined that the most topical questions, which are studied by the leading scientists of Poland, are: relevant definition of the indicators of ratings and their significance; issues related to the evaluation of Polish universities in the lifelong learning sphere; researches on the methodology of evaluating the usefulness of information in the websites of higher education institutions; innovative ways of development of the Polish economy by introduction of results of scientific researches of the universities into business practice etc. The methodological peculiarities of the Polish rating system, which evaluates the activity of research universities, are disclosed. This system is based on evaluation of the seven main rating indicators: prestige; graduates in the labor market; innovativeness; scientific potential; scientific efficiency; training conditions; internationalization of education. The publication will be useful for the heads of research universities and specialists in the field of strategic management development of research universities.

The article presents the development of scientific thought through the prism of an analysis of the works by authoritative scientists of the world level concerning approaches to evaluation of the strategy of development of libraries of universities of research type. The comparison method was applied to allocate the differences between the traditional academic library and a modern academic library as the contrasts that slow down the course of strategic development. The article defines and systematizes the criteria, according to which an academic library of a research university be evaluated. The authors have proposed an approach on the basis of applying the method of SPACE analysis in order to provide evaluation of strategy for development of Mykhaylo Maksymovych Academic Library of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, the strategic recommendations for the further reforming have been suggested.

The successful experience of the main educational and scientific institution of Poland – the University of Warsaw in formation and implementation of own strategy of development of educational services and educational programs under conditions of Polish membership in the European Union was researched. The model of the development system of the University of Warsaw has been built, based on its eleven main elements, reflecting the main strategic directions of development, which provide the basis for development of the University in the strategic perspective. The most important directions are described, which are pivotal and development-inclusive: concept of Open University; expansion of existing and creation of new training programs of an interdisciplinary nature; selection and education of scientific and pedagogical staff; training and practice of students; postgraduate education; launching of training programs in foreign languages, internationalization of education; paid tuition; scholarship programs of the University; promotion of outstanding didactic activities through the Foundation for didactic innovation; organizing the recruitment of candidates for training; quality of education. The scientific and practical results of this research will be useful for the top-level managers engaged in the development and implementation of strategies for higher education institutions and research universities in Ukraine.

This paper presents an overview of the latest developments in electronic learning and teaching methods and tools brought about by digital transformations aimed at making education more efficient and effective. A set of general and specific research methods was used to conduct the study, in particular bibliographical and descriptive, chronological, specification, analysis, systematisation and classification, observation, survey and expert interviews, abstraction, analogy and comparison, comparative, modelling, forecasting and argumentation, and logical generalisation. The authors describe their approach to structural organisation of the novel e-learning ecosystem and single out its key components, including technology, learning contexts, and learning outcomes, as well as a set of secondary external factors that determine the quality and effectiveness of education when digitalised. This paper explores characteristics and features of e-learning such as customisation, autonomy, and interactivity with a focus on micro-learning, and presents the findings of an analysis of the most popular open educational resources (OERs), massive open online courses (MOOCs), and online learning platforms, highlighting their major advantages and disadvantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the article is to present analyzis of the main sources of revenue generation of the world's leading research university – the University of Oxford and one of the best research universities in the United States – Stanford University. Special emphasis is put on their experience and strategy in managing financial autonomy. An effective synergistic model for ensuring the financial autonomy of a research university is described, offering mechanisms for strategic management of the sources of revenue generation. The model is based on the interaction of four key potentials of a research university: functioning of business schools and institutions of postgraduate education; financial cooperation with university graduates; functioning of the independent consulting centers; functioning of the centers for innovative technologies and startups support. The author demonstrates also the model's connections and peculiarities of its functioning and describes, in details, the perspective of its use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]