The role of universities in modern society

The subject of this study is the role of universities in modern society. In the paper, the author defines the key characteristics and main development trends of universities in the context of the modern transformation of society. The work represents the stage of the research the purpose of which is to form an approach to building the paradigm of a modern Russian university suitable for solving problems of the current university environment and for designing its future. The author analyzed the development trends of the higher education system, identified crisis phenomena in the educational space of a modern university. The author supports the idea that science becomes the direct productive force of society, and the university is an important public institution where fundamental science develops, scientific discoveries are formed and prerequisites for the rapid development of society are created.