Changing the development trajectory of Russian postgraduate studies

Today, the institute of postgraduate studies, as one of the important tools for training highly qualified personnel, is moving to a new algorithm of work, enshrined in a number of regulatory documents. In this regard, it is necessary to assess the essence and possible consequences of reforming the third level of higher education. For this purpose, we used: analysis of a corpus of materials published in leading Russian journals that specialize in issues of education and management of scientific and educational activities; secondary analysis of sociological data; a number of general scientific and private law methods. It has been established that the process of reforming graduate school is a necessary step designed to resolve accumulated problems and contradictions. A proposal has been put forward on the need for government agencies and the academic community to maintain a constructive dialogue in order to effectively adjust the ongoing legislative measures and develop a future national educational policy in the field of higher education. As a result of a comparative analysis of two postgraduate study models, their key differences are highlighted and the difficulties of transition to a new model are predicted. Measures are proposed to further improve the effectiveness of third-level higher education programs.