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Fostering Professional Competencies Of Students With The New Approaches In Higher Education

The article discusses the problem of the competency gap between employers' expectations and the actual competency profile of university graduates by focusing on the case of the Ural Federal University (UrFU, Russia). It is shown how this problem can be addressed through modern teaching practices aimed at enhancing the quality of education and increasing student motivation. The authors analyze the existing legislative framework of higher education in Russia and the current priority tasks of the university development. To meet these tasks, UrFU management devised a set of measures to modernize the education process and ensure adequate support to the faculty and students. The university is currently developing its own education standards to make its programs more flexible, promote cross-disciplinary interaction and adjust students' competency profile to the demands of the job market. The study puts a special emphasis on the use of online technologies and project-based learning to develop professional competencies and encourage a proactive approach to mastering new knowledge and practical skills. A special incentive program is implemented to maximize personal and professional growth of the university's faculty. One of the instruments applied to address the competency gap problem is the creation of the so-called 'Boiling Point' a space for free exchange of ideas and collaboration between students and external experts from the business community. A conclusion is made that UrFU has been successful in developing a fundamentally new approach to organizing the education process and adjusting students' competency profile to the demands of the modern job market. 2357-1330 © 2020 Published by European Publisher.