SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN UNIVERSITIES: NATURE, IMPORTANCE AND PERSPECTIVES

The article analyzes the nature and significance of scientific research in universities in the context of emerging knowledge economy, there are defined the prospects of scientific research development regarding the requirements of innovative social development. The importance of scientific research consists in providing the possibility of effective use of scientific and technical potential of universities for the development of priority areas of science and technology, creating high technologies, modernization of production, ensuring social development, national economic growth and international competitiveness. Scientific research has an important value for the formation and development of scientific schools in universities. The scientific community requires constant interaction, contacts, information exchange, mutual evaluation of scientific research and, thus, the establishment of scientific schools. A key role is played by scientific research in ensuring the quality of university education that presupposes training of specialists based on the latest scientific and technical progress and involvement of the qualified scientific and pedagogical staff in the educational process. In addition, scientific research is a requirement for the establishment of training and performance appraisal system of scientific and pedagogical staff in university. Effective implementation of scientific research in university is the instrument to enhance its competitiveness in the global and national educational and scientific spaces as well as advancement in the international and national rankings.