Formation of a network of federal universities, first as a pilot project, then after the legislative consolidation of this species forms in the educational legislation — one of the most significant of the system innovations calls so far, discussions in the university community. Tangible state investments into the development of this group of universities logical to raise the question of their special role in the system of universities and more significant contribution to socio-economic development of the country. The article analyzes the current state of a network of federal universities, difficulties in their development. The authors concluded that the project's potential is not fully disclosed.

Author presents the outcomes from a study into problems of university governance as the role and competencies of university leadership teams change radically in the time of reform. Recommendations for building strategic management in the university as well as priority structural solutions for stronger governance are given.

In article the conceptual understanding of the nature, factors and effects of introduction of new system of compensation of professorial personnel in university is presented. The step-by-step sequence of actions for approbation and introduction of system of the effective contract in university is developed. One of problems of introduction of the effective contract in higher education institution is attraction of the qualified scientific and pedagogical shots in system of the professorial personnel reproduction.

The article considers the issues of management in higher educational institutions, focusing on financial methods at the period of transition to per capita budgeting. The principles of structural changes and mechanisms to improve the efficiency of budget spending that ensure an increase in university teaching staff's salary are revealed. The recommendations for transition period of normative per capita financing the salary fund for university teaching staff are developed. As an analogue to resolve the similar tasks there were used the principles of transition in secondary education schools.

The methods of calculating the number of academic staff have been considered. The function of academic work labor intensiveness developed by the authors is offered to use for their improvement. It allows combining the advantages of each method and opens new opportunities for improvement of efficiency of the educational process management, as well as the labor costs for the academic staff.

The model of key competences reserve personnel in high education was developed as result of analytical research. Educational and methodical documents (the program of course and others) were based on development of this model. It has allowed to make preliminary selection to group of reserve personnel candidates and to organize special learning in the Novosibirsk State Technical University (NSTU). The analysis of learning results and satisfaction of listeners of a course was done. Strengths and weaknesses, problems of reserve personnel training system in NSTU were revealed. Suggestions on improvement of processes were made.

Certain aspects of legal support reforms in higher education. Particular attention is paid to such legal phenomenon as the effective contract, its definition. Improvement proposals of the wage system of remuneration and work valuation were formulated.

This paper considers the influence of modern education technologies on traditional practice of education. It is expressed in new forms of online education and new learning management systems. Tthe author proposes an idea of new technological platform for contemporary education. Article contains detailed description of its basic elements: "massive open online courses" (MOOC), learning management systems (LMS), specific infrastructure and ecosystem of education.

In the article is given the analysis of law and practices of endowment funds in Russia. The author investigated the historical experience of donations to universities in Russia. A comparative analysis of the funds in Russia and the United States is done. Tasks for the development of an endowment in Russia are proposed.

The article deals with the interpretation of corrupt behavior and informal practices on the example of large regional universities.

The analysis of scientific publications of dissertation councils' members in 2012 is represented. Data was received from the reports of dissertation councils. The ratings journals on the number of publications, the number of authors, the number of dissertation councils and the number of organizations were built in the context of the branches of science with assessment of their impact-factors.

The paper examined the current state of Russian universities, the analysis of the dynamics of the positions of foreign universities and identified ways to improve the competitiveness of Russian universities in international rankings.

Abstract of a book of Reznik S.D. “Rectors of Russia”