Research and development of modern universities’ essence

Abstract

The authors have investigated the nature of the university and its manifestations. It is possible to reveal the basis of the current low competitiveness of Russian universities. The authors consider that university essence is a combination of three factors - spirit, intelligence and energy of the staff. Approaches to determine the levels of essence are shown in the article. This structure exists in the system "labor - management - capital - technology". This construct forms the system of functioning of the modern university. The difference between the Russian and foreign universities lies in the development degree of the three basic components. A high development degree manifests the true essence of the university – to be a space of high concentration of advanced intellect, saturated with the spirit and energy of the cognition and transformation of new ideas into the effects of society.