This article covers the problems related to the university merger on the basis of the current educational institution effectiveness estimation method and the possibilities of its improvement within the process of such institutions merger.

The measures taken in Russian professional education during the last decade are reviewed in respect to their correspondence to the actual cybernetic laws, quality management principles, social megatrends of postindustrial society and creative environment conditions. It is noted that many measures are poorly related to actual social and managerial trends and directed mainly at local changes in the management of the educational system omitting the content and methods of the teaching.

The article considers methodical approaches to an assessment of financial and economic activity of the higher education institution, based on the approved recommendations at legislative level, develops offers on its improvement, and also reviews possibility of application of universal economic indicators regarding ensuring balance of expenses, the income, increase of efficiency of functioning of higher education institutions as a whole.

Based on the matrix of absolute and specific university publication activity and citation, with the use of monetary rewards for the publication we propose an organizational and economic mechanism for stimulating university publications at the federal level. The proposed mechanism suggests the development of Programs for increasing the global university competitiveness at the federal and university levels.

The article discusses some reasons for the slow development of university endowments in Russia, explores the experience of American foundations, and suggests some ways to support Russian university endowments.

The article analyses existing approaches to assessing efficiency of higher education institutions' activity. Contradictions between licensing and accreditation methodology (reflected in the corresponding criteria and indicators) and methodology of monitoring of activity of higher education institutions are revealed. Resolution of conflicts is possible on the basis of improvement of approaches to licensing and accreditation with involvement of expert community and the careful analysis in making decisions on reorganization of higher education institutions according to the 22nd article of the new law «On Education in the Russian Federation».

The paper presents an analysis of the performance of employment of graduates of educational institutions, such as the proportion of the employment (including employment by the specialty), graduates entrenching on a first workplace and relative wages. The analysis of these indicators is provided by groups of specialties, education levels and subjects of the Russian Federation. The functional form of the integral indicator of the effectiveness of graduate employment is justified and results of its calculation by groups of specialties and subjects of the Russian Federation are presented graphically.

This article analyzes the state of scientific and innovative potential of the Nizhny Novgorod region, in particular, we consider the system; it reviews innovative activities of the leading universities of the region and identifies key industries that can become partners for these higher education institutions in production and transfer of innovative products. The peculiarity of this article is the analysis of sources of financing of industrial enterprises' innovative activities , as well as the funding for innovation in the Nizhny Novgorod region as a whole.

Review of the monograph: Naboichenko S. S. High school history of the Sverdlovsk region. Ekaterinburg : Publishing house of the AMB, 2013.

This article is dedicated to the present state of export of Russian educational services and its perspectives to expand in 2020 year.

The training process of the highly skilled technical specialist adaptive control system possibilities and principles are considered in this article. It is noted that training structuring allows for separating management functions at different stages of training and also for considering individual models of educational process adaptive management. The rational methods and control actions types are offered on the selected training stages.

On example of federal state education standards the analysis of problems of competence-based method use in Higher Professional Education was carried out.

In this article, the authors attempt to identify current university design trends based on an analysis of international experience. Russian university leaders may take these trends into account while working on domestic university development programs. The article's main task is to carry out a comparative study of Russian and international state policy regarding university infrastructure, construction, and management. The authors have examined national standards for university building designs and interior spaces.