The article deals with the problem of identifying world-class universities (WCU) on the basis of information provided by various ranking systems. The relevance of the problem is due to the fact that in 2022 Russia was “cut off” from the world community, including the interruption of cooperation with leading international ranking universities, so the country risks losing the opportunity to self-check its successes and failures by generally recognized criteria. In this regard, the purpose of this article is hypothesis verifcation that the “friendly” ranking of ARWU base can serve as an effective substitute for the “unfriendly” QS ranking base. To test the formulated hypothesis, we used the previously developed algorithm for identifying WCU using statistical data from the fve Global University Rankings — Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), Times Higher Education (THE), Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) and National Taiwan University Ranking (NTU) — and two University Rankings by subject — QS and ARWU. Conducted calculations disproved the general hypothesis and revealed a fundamental inconsistency of results obtained on the basis of different rankings. In addition, by the example of the ARWU, a profound contradiction in the logic of compiling the GUR and the SRU was uncovered. That raises a broader question about adequacy of the concept of the WCU itself. To answer this question, we conducted a “humanitarian test” for the validity of modern WCU, which showed the presence of elementary illiteracy and lack of culture among graduates of advanced universities. Collected stylized examples allowed to establish that modern world market leaders’ universities do not pass the “humanitarian test”, and therefore the entire rating system cannot be considered a reliable basis for conclusions about the activities of universities. The question of replacing the term WCU with a less pretentious “product” category — practice-oriented universities — is being discussed.

The Eurasian Economic Union States should strengthen their sovereignty within the EAEU through the complementary specialization of economies, cooperative ties in knowledge-intensive industries and economic sectors around the entire economic cycle. However, the Eurasian integration needs a new impetus. The period having passed since the EAEU creation imposed a necessity to qualitatively revise what has been done, to frankly state that a whole range of the Treaty’s provisions was not fulfilled as well as to formulate and propose specific mechanisms for further implementation of its provisions, to outline new integration horizons, to adopt appropriate decisions and to start acting. The article provides an idea of where the Eurasian integration is currently moving. It offers an overview of the Strategic Directions for Developing the Eurasian Economic Integration until 2025, the document that embodies the transition from the shaping stage (2015–2019) to the project integration stage (2020–2025). The new stage’s essence is about ensuring conditions for the specific joint economic projects at both interstate and individual economic entity level. The article mentions what has already been accomplished in this direction and what lies ahead. It reflects the integration’s impact on the participating countries’ economies: both existing and forecast one. Furthermore, it touches upon the issue of dedollarizing the Union countries’ mutual trade, digitalization, the EAEU international cooperation as well as global economic risks and ways to overcome those through integration cooperation. In conclusion, the article proposes new principles of the integration association’s work.

The article is devoted to the actual problem of the introduction of universal basic income (UBI) in Russia. Taking into account the real possibilities of the Russian economy, the issues of developing models of transitional forms of UBI, the so-called “basic income (BI)” are considered for target categories of citizens. The substantiation of the possibility and expediency of modeling the effects of BI payments according to the domestic simulation model of reproduction of Russia’s GDP P1–4–2 (2022–8) is carried out. The results of predictive calculations based on this model are presented. It is shown that the additional revenues of the consolidated budget of the Russian Federation not only compensate for the initial costs of implementing the BI program, but also exceed the initial costs annually. The conclusion is made about the reality of the implementation of the “BI program” in our country. The state leadership is proposed to combine the current system of targeted social support with the introduction of BI payments to the most vulnerable households and categories of Russian citizens in order to improve the level and quality of life of the Russian population and increase consumer demand.

In the economic practice of the Soviet Union, many decisions were developed that were perceived in many countries. The main experiment, the author considers the work with hundreds of thousands of top managers who do not have the property rights to their business. This article discusses methods of ensuring currency stability in the Soviet Union — sole proprietorship and personal responsibility, the formation of a personnel reserve and the so-called “nomenclature”. Such Soviet developments as Dynamo and Lipetsk methods, brigade contract and Saratov system, and today are used by different countries. On this basis, it is proposed to consider the Soviet Union as an objective pilot economic laboratory of the world.

Subject. The article considers the evolution of human development theory under the auspices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the factors influencing human potential reproduction.

Purposes. To compare the concepts of “human potential” and “human capital”, existing tools for their assessment. Analysis of the specifc features of Russia’s human potential development and possibilities of its increase.

Methodology. In the article are used methods of quantitative analysis and cross-country comparisons, a systematic approach in the study of components of human potential.

Results. The author compared the content of the terms “human potential” and “human capital”, which have many common meaningful elements, therefore they can be used in practice as synonyms. The analysis of human development dynamics in Russia highlighted the weaknesses and strengths of this process using the UNDP Human Development Index, Human Capital Index from the World Bank, and Global Human Capital Index from the World Economic Forum (WEF). Russia’s lagging behind developed countries in some human development components requires an active demographic policy, modernization of health care and education, pensions and social assistance, development of cultural, formation of an effcient labor market and an innovation ecosystem.

Prospects. To improve the effciency of measures aimed at the active reproduction of human potential it is necessary to continue improving the tools for estimating its components, which should be better aligned with the modern requirements of a rapidly changing technological structure of the economy.

It is necessary to identify the national features of development in Russia to establish appropriate methods, in view of the different approaches to the analysis and modelling of the standard of living and quality of life of the population in various countries and international integration associations. This article analyzes the practical aspects of the most signifcant areas of interaction and development groups of indicators of standard of living and quality of life in the Russian Federation. The study used a systematic approach and statistical methods. The groups of indicators of quality of life summarized by the author were compiled on the basis of normative legal acts and expert documents: material wellbeing, healthcare, education, environment, self-perception, power. The content analysis was conducted of open-source commentaries on the issue of representation of a “better life” to determine key problems and propensities. The most and least pronounced groups of preferences among the population are identifed. Differences in the opinions of Russians on the importance of groups of indicators depending on gender, age and in connection with the pandemic are demonstrated. The author has come to conclusion about necessity to take into account such variables, it is substantiated the need to make changes to the current standards for the transition to new models of the standard of living and quality of life

The purpose of this article is to identify the main subjects of the debt economy of Russia and the USA. The scientific novelty of this study lies in the disclosure of the mechanism of activity of the US Federal Reserve System (FRS) as a subject of the debt economy, the main holder of public debt and the guarantor of dollar fnancing. The article considers measures of federal budget support, defnes the conditions of growth of federal debt of the United States, the influence of the fnancial policy of the FRS on the state of public debt. The author’s position on strengthening the role of the FRS in management of economic processes is substantiated.

The article investigated the dynamics of mutual trade between China and Russia in the field of high-tech products. Analyzed the scale, structure and trends of mutual trade on high-tech products between China and Russia. Determined the main groups of goods in the field of high-tech products. Calculated and assessed the possibilities of cooperation between China and Russia in this area, using the Trade Complementarity Index. It is shown that China and Russia are ideal partners in the field of trade in high-tech products. The main problems of trade development in this area are revealed: from the point of view of Russia, it has a low level of diversification of methods for obtaining transitional technologies, and for China — a weakness in independent development of new technology.

This article considers the solution of the actual scientifc and practical task of managing the costs of planning and implementing organizational and production changes at enterprises from high-tech industries. The authors present a modifcation of M. Porter’s model of competitive forces for high-tech industries and single out a separate managerial function — constant management of timely changes. The article considers the function of cost management, compares two approaches to change management and gives recommendations for optimization of corresponding costs taking into account the cost of management errors.

The methodological base of the research includes the theoretical foundations of cluster structure, structural integration of ecosystems, the network method of their coordination, platform interaction, global reporting initiative (GRI), international and domestic regulations in the field of sustainable development, scientific publications of Russian and foreign authors. The article proposes clarifications of individual formulations in the definition of ecosystems and conducts their classification: bionomic, industrial ecosystem, business ecosystem, business, innovative ecosystem. The evolution of the definition of “ecosystem” is investigated, in which its qualitatively new stage in the global concept of sustainable development is revealed. The formulation of the ecosystem of sustainable development as the intellectual coordination core of the innovation ecosystem is derived. The concepts of capital components of the new economic formation of “accessism” are introduced. The risks and threats of economic, legal, and state security in the formation of the access economy are investigated. A model of integration of components has been developed: economic, social, environmental, infrastructural elements and directions. The directions of creating new organizational forms of interaction in the ecosystem with the participation of state technology (Gostech) are proposed. Recommendations are given to counter threats and risks caused by ecosystem changes in the structure of socio-economic relations that have historical significance.