The aim of the work is to analyze key problems and risks that have arisen in connection with the transfer of universities to distance educational activities during the introduction of strict restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic. Among the main objectives of the study – identification of problems in the field of educational inequality, quality of education, the complexity of the educational process and cost of educational services as well as research experience of Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, as one of the leading Russian universities, to overcome these problems in the period of the pandemic.Materials and methods. The analysis used data from sociological studies about attitude of university students and lecturers to distance learning conducted by expert organizations during the pandemic, analytical and informational materials of universities and bibliographic sources. Secondary analysis and interpretation of the results of sociological surveys, systematization and classification of theoretical and factual materials were used, analysis of management practices and experience of universities in the conditions of extreme transition to remote mode, including in comparison with foreign universities.Results. The study identified the key problems faced by the university community during the transition to distance work, among which are the growth of educational inequality, the dependence of the quality of education not only on the capabilities of educational institutions, but also on the competencies and technical capabilities of students and lecturers; increased academic load on both students and lecturers; possible quality reduction due to the spread of online education; the rising cost of education.The response of state authorities to the new “challenges” of the pandemic was timely: the regulatory framework was brought into line with modern conditions, the format of holding operational meetings of working groups with representatives of the university community was introduced and free access to a variety of domestic online courses was opened.Actions of Plekhanov Russian University of Economics to overcome threats during the pandemic, such as the revision of norms of time for calculating academic load, providing temporary use of laptops, webcams, organization of unlimited access to the largest electronic platforms for online learning, carrying out activities for administrative and teaching staff on issues of distance work, developing temporary local acts, organization of “Hot line” allowed to go into distance mode. Conclusion. Higher education institutions have passed a serious test for the strength and effectiveness of their work. Some countries, such as Brazil and a number of developing countries, have not been able to fully overcome the effects of the pandemic and switch to distance operation. The activities of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the University Community of the Russian Federation have demonstrated high efficiency and cohesion.Distance education will not completely replace classical full-time education. The future development of the higher education system will be influenced by two multidirectional trends of support and rejection of the full distance learning format. However, the coronavirus pandemic has shown the possible effectiveness of converting part of the learning to digital format, which will make learning more flexible, personalized and effective in the future.

The paper presents an analysis of the key characteristics of the typological models of modern universities and outlines the directions of their transformation. The concept of University 3.0 was used as a research methodology in view of the existing approaches to the classification of university models. The research method was the qualitative analysis of the strategic development documents of the various universities of the world posted on their websites. The selection of the universities for analysis was carried out on the basis of the results of the QS WUR 2022 ranking. The sample was made up of 30 universities from North America, Europe, Asia, and Russia, occupying various ranking positions. As a result, there were revealed the features of the strategic priorities for the development of Russian and foreign universities, as well as universities aimed at global and regional influence. A set of basic characteristics of typological models of universities 1.0-4.0 has been developed. It has been established that the transformation of these models takes place in the direction of increasing the scope of their mission, expanding the areas of activity, using new digital technologies, developing integration potential and strengthening the impact on society. The defining parameters for the formation of the model of the university of the future are focus on innovation and advanced continuous education, managed broad integration, diversification of income sources, social involvement and contribution to sustainable development. The presented complex of the main characteristics of typological models of universities can serve as a tool for assessing the compliance of a particular university with a particular model, as well as contribute to goal-setting in the development of the national higher education system and particular universities.

The sphere of education in the era of the digital economy is undergoing tremendous changes. The methods and tools for presenting information, the infrastructure of educational institutions, the content of the educational programs and the level of their practical orientation are in need of improvement. In the present paper an attempt is made to assess the level of students' satisfaction with the technological competences of lecturers at the university. The authors put forward a hypothesis about the existence of a close relationship between the level of learning educational materials and the degree to which teachers use digital (information and communication) technologies in the educational process. It is proposed to consider as a digital technology the use of computer equipment and the Internet, the use of online training platforms and online resources as part of the educational process, demonstrations of presentations, videos, personal accounts and other applications to establish and maintain contacts with students. The result of the correlation and regression analysis was the conclusion that the increase in the use of digital technologies in the educational process by 1% leads to an acceleration of the rate of learning material by students by 1.68%.

The aim of the work is to analyze the processes of transformation of modern education towards its deinstitutionalization under the influence of changes in the professional structure of the labor market. A global professional shift towards new professions emerging in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is considered as a modern trend, resulting in an increase in the role and importance of informal and informal education, accompanied by an increase in demand for online education.  The main objectives of the study are to determine the current trends in the development of formal continuing education in the Russian Federation in comparison with the trends in the development of informal online education.Materials and methods. The analysis used the results of sociological research, statistical data reflecting the processes in the field of continuing professional education, the involvement of the adult population in continuing education, the demand for online education platforms in Russia, as well as expert opinions, analytical and informational materials, bibliographic sources. Secondary analysis and interpretation of the results of sociological surveys, systematization and classification of theoretical and factual materials used, methods of statistical analysis were used.Results. The study revealed that under the influence of the fourth industrial revolution, a global professional shift is taking place in the labor market, leading to a significant acceleration of the processes of de-institutionalization of vocational education, expressed in a significant increase in the role and importance of non-formal education in meeting the educational needs of citizens and networking of the educational process. The spread of informal online education leads to the blurring of the institutional boundaries of education as a traditional social institution. The list and content of additional vocational education (AVE) programs mostly reflect the traditional range of professions and are poorly transformed under the influence of a global professional shift. This determines the low level of involvement of the adult population in continuing formal education, and the flow of demand for additional education to the informal sector in the conditions of rapid development of online education. The risks of deinstitutionalization of vocational education are its dysfunctions, going beyond traditional functions, the emergence of new functions, which leads to the loss of «their place» by educational institutions and a decrease in the importance of traditional university education.Conclusion. The fourth industrial Revolution, provoking a global professional shift, leads to an increase in the importance of informal and informative online education. Changing the professional sphere requires accelerated development of a flexible, barrier-free, rapidly responding to these changes in the environment of advanced education, which becomes a constantly ongoing process immersed in an online environment. Its openness, integration with professional practice, networking and digitalization are becoming the most significant characteristics. Ecosystem educational spaces are becoming promising, forming both around educational organizations and around students, which indicates the continuation of the processes of deinstitutionalization of vocational education in the future.