Integration Processes and Leadership in Higher Education

The article examines the leadership of universities on the world educational platform and the ways for Russian universities to join the scope of world-class leaders. The study reveals the structural elements of the system of Russian higher education and analyzes the state methods of impact on it, prospective projects, and development programs. Finally, it is proved in the article that financial and project assistance of the state does not mean an immediate and unconditional “breakthrough” for the university: historical factors of the development of the Russian higher education system, successful management, qualifications of teachers, and established image and reputation of the university have a significant impact on the representation of Russian universities in world rankings, constantly monitored by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, and, as a consequence, their reorganization in the form of accession to the United Nations educational organizations. As a result, over a thousand universities have been closed out for several years of optimization, which, on the one hand, slows the progressive development of higher education institutions that had absorbed “inefficient” higher education institutions and on the other marked prospects for growth, due to enlargement of the structure, international cooperation, and growth of human and scientific potential.