Введение. Развитие и внедрение в образовательную практику зарубежных и российских вузов инновационных моделей обучения актуализирует проблему готовности их использования преподавателями и восприятия со стороны студентов. Цель статьи-анализ отношения преподавательской общности к модели «перевернутого обучения» и ориентаций студентов на самостоятельное освоение лекционного материала, реализуемого посредством «перевернутого обучения». Материалы и методы. Эмпирической базой исследования стали анкетный опрос студентов II-IV курсов гуманитарных факультетов и полуструктурированное интервью c преподавателями Уральского федерального университета. Результаты исследования. Материалы исследования свидетельствуют о проблемах реализации и утверждения модели «перевернутого обучения» в образовательном процессе в системе высшей школы. В ходе исследования определено, что для успешного внедрения модели, по оценкам преподавательской общности, требуются такие условия, как перестройка системы учета норм времени, отводимого на различные виды занятий, формирование в вузе специального аппарата специалистов для технического сопровождения модели, организация специализированных семинаров, тренингов, мастер-классов для обучения технологии разработки и использования «перевернутого обучения» в практической деятельности. Результаты анкетного опроса студентов выявили трудности их включения в модель «перевернутого обучения», касающиеся прежде всего отсутствия навыков самостоятельной работы, которые формируются к старшим курсам. Обсуждение и заключения. Авторы полагают, что имеются предпосылки для успешной реализации модели «перевернутого обучения» в виде использования в образовательной деятельности информационных систем и программ, нацеленных на удовлетворение запросов студентов, при условии их обучения с первого курса методам самостоятельного анализа. Авторский коллектив апробировал методику социологического изучения отношения преподавателей и студентов к модели «перевернутого обучения», а также препятствий ее внедрения в систему высшего образования. Материалы исследования представляют интерес для администрации вузов, ориентированных на упрочение своих позиций в современном образовательном пространстве посредством включения в учебный процесс инновационных образовательных технологий. Полученные в ходе исследования результаты будут востребованы научным сообществом, в котором обсуждаются технологии смешанного обучения. Ключевые слова: перевернутое обучение, проблемное обучение, высшее образование, преподаватель, студент, образовательный процесс Благодарности: авторы статьи выражают признательность рецензентам за анализ представленной работы.

Th e article discusses a range of common problems faced by international students while studying in Russia, drawing on the example of Ural Federal University (Ekaterinburg). Analysis of the sociological data has shown that international students have to deal with the following adaptation barriers: organizational barriers which students face when joining the educational process; socio-cultural barriers which mostly stem from the lack of language profi ciency; getting accustomed to daily routines of living on the campus; informational barriers caused by a low awareness of the conditions of life and studying in Russia (Russian cultural norms and values, the climate of the Urals, etc.). Th e article reveals a correlation between the specifi city of the countries international students come from and the main stages of their adaptation, providing guidelines for improvement of international student support at Ural Federal University.

The paper examines online learning as an innovative practice, the frequency of which has increased dra-matically during the pandemic. This caused signifi-cant changes in students’ assessment and percep-tion of online technologies, and also caused the formation of new fears in the context of digitaliza-tion of education. A comparative analysis of two stages of the survey of Ural Federal University stu-dents (2019, n = 150 and 2020, n = 70) made it possi-ble to demonstrate changes in the structure of mo-tives for refusing to use online education and in highlighting its significant shortcomings against the background of the pandemic. The main areas of growth of social fears of students in online learning are highlighted: social isolation, changes in re-quirements for the students themselves, the conse-quences of a sedentary lifestyle, a decrease in health potential, etc. The main field of activity of young people – education – becomes a source of growth of social fears and anxiety.

Th is article shows specifi cs of the transition from conventional educational practice to the Flipped classroom model in modern education system. It is focused on professors' perception of the video-based teaching approach. Conducted sociological survey involves the teaching staff from one European and one Russian university, namely the Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) and Ural Federal University (URFU). Th e survey investigated professors' awareness of the Inverted classroom, their readiness to employ it and prime barriers they face. Results reveal that teachers from Russia have less information about the model and practically do not embed it in the education arrangement comparing to professors from Finland. Lack of time, lack of support and assistance are shown to be the prime barriers preventing them from fl ipped classroom implementation. Drawn implications are of use for the integration of the fl ipped classroom.

Introduction. The main objectives of foreign policy of any state include the extension of its influence in the international arena. In the era of information and knowledge, one of the most effective tools for this task is soft power of education. In this respect, education is seen as a promising soft power instrument, which long-term character allows a country to promote not only its cultural, scientific and technological achievements, but also its cultural values and norms of social organisation. Today, universities are also seeking to strengthen their positions in global education rankings, which are used to define the status and reputation of a particular university in the global market of educational services. This ranking serves as a guide for future students and their parents, when choosing a prestigious education location and when developing individual career paths.The aims of the present research are the following: to analyse soft power of higher education as a soft power mechanism, which allows a country to achieve and maintain leadership positions in the international arena; to specify conditi ons, factors and barriers that determine the position of universities in global ranking systems.Methodology and research methods. The methodological framework is based on the concept of soft power and the theory of internationalisation of higher education. The empirical study was conducted following the tradition of qualitative sociological research. In 2018, a series of semi-structured interviews was conducted among Ural Federal University employees, whose responsibilities were related to the promotion of the university on the global educational market. The Ural Federal University (UrFU) can be considered representative in terms of practices aimed at attracting foreign students to the BRICS countries. In addition, UrFU is a place where the concept of a network BRICS University was realised in 2017. A total of 5 expert interviews were conducted. The collected data were analysed in the context of the World Bank statistics on the money spent by the BRICS countries on education and R&D during the 1999–2015 period (% of GDP), as well as the data provided by the QS World University Rankings – 2019 to analyse the reputation of BRICS universities.Results and scientific novelty. The case study of Ural Federal University allowed the authors to consider the specific practices of BRICS zones for attracting foreign students. The authors analysed the specifics of actions taken by a university to promote its international leadership positions in the international space on the example of students from China. It is shown that the role of global ranking systems (institutional and faculty) in the choice of a university is steadily growing. At the same time, factors determining the attractiveness of the Ural Federal University for foreign students, in particular for Chinese students, include a reasonable level of tuition, the quality of the education and the formed ethnic social networks. For them, the Russian education is expected to be a factor in achieving a higher social status in their home countries. This demonstrates the effective role of education as a soft power instrument, although in the long-term perspective. The authors identified a number of findings concerning the barriers faced by Russian universities on the way to recognising them as global actors of higher vocational education. It is possible to enter the Top 500 best world universities; however, the task of maintaining the achieved position in global rankings is more complicated and cannot be completed without a steady increase in the performance over several years. A world-class university should attract gifted youth, qualified teachers and researchers. The reduction in the number of talented people and research results leads to the loss of geopolitical mission by the educational organisation. Inadequate funding may prevent universities from breakthrough and sustainable improvement of their reputation.Practical significance. The research findings might be useful for managers of higher education and for strategists involved in positioning and making forecasts of educational institutions development. Also, the present findings can be applied by specialists engaged in the issues of educational policy, distribution of public investments, as well as the issues of international interaction and competition between states in order to realise national interests and support national economy in the country in the long term.