This article presents the processes of changing the epistemological concept of higher education in the course of their historical, sociocultural development from Platonic ideas to a modern emphasis on critical thinking and technology. Universities, as sources of higher education, as well as their conceptual foundations, have gone through a number of stages of development, from schools of theology and "liberal arts" in the Middle Ages, centers of humanization and rationalization of knowledge in the 18- 19 centuries, centers of scientific research and training of professional personnel in the 19 -20 centuries, to institutions of mass higher education aimed at saturating the labor market. Based on this, the stages of the evolution of universities are considered based on their leading activities in the context of modern changes, the fundamental differences between their target and content settings, as well as development prospects in the context of the digitalization of knowledge.

Higher education concept, university model, third generation university

Barabanova M.I. University 2.0: modern technologies in higher education // Information technologies in economics, management and education: collection of scientific papers / Federal Agency for Education. St. Petersburg, 2010. P. 50.

Bezpalova A. G. Information and communication technologies as a vector for the development of universities in the context of digitalization of the educational process // In the collection: Market infrastructure: problems and prospects. Scientific notes. Rostov -on-Don, 2020. pp. 35-39.

Vissema J. G. Third generation university. Moscow: Publishing house "Olympus-Business", 2016. 432 p. URL: https://biznes-knigi.com/avtor-yohan- vissema/6760-universitet-tretego-pokoleniya-yohan-vissema/read/page-4.html

Glukhov V.V., Vasetskaya N.O. The role of universities in the development of innovation clusters // In the collection: Digital economy and Industry 4.0: trends 2025. Collection of proceedings of a scientific and practical conference with international participation. Edited by A.V. Babkina. 2019. P. 508-

Golyshkova I. N. Analysis of the key components of the “digital university” model // E-Management. 2020.№3. URL: https://cyberleninka.rU/article/n/analiz-klyuchevyh-sostavlyayuschih-modeli-tsifrovoy-universitet (access date: 06.24.2021).

Grudzinsky A. O. University as an entrepreneurial organization // Sociological studies. 2013. No. 4. P. 113.

Ermolenko V.V., Lanskaya D.V., Ostapenko E.V. Mechanisms for transforming the competitive advantages of the university’s innovation ecosystem into the competitiveness of small innovative enterprises // Scientific Bulletin of the Southern Institute of Management. 2018. No. 2 (22). P.5-12.

Zhuk O. Entrepreneurial transformation of universities in the conditions of the fourth industrial revolution // Journal of the Belarusian State University. Journalism. Pedagogy. 2019. No. 1. P. 108-116.

Clark B. R. Creation of entrepreneurial universities: organizational directions of transformation / trans. from English A. Smirnova. M.: Publishing house. House of State un-ta. Higher School of Economics, 2011. 240 p.

Kuznetsov E. B., Engovatova A. A. “Universities 4.0”: growth points of the knowledge economy in Russia // Innovations. 2016. No. 5. P. 3-9.

Kuzminov Ya. On the Development of Higher Education in the Conditions of Digitalization // Rector of the University. 2019. No. 9. P. 22.

Ladyzhets N. S. Modern trends in the development of Western and domestic universities // Bulletin of the Udmurt University. Series Philosophy. Psychology. Pedagogy. 2015. T. 25. No. 4. P. 21-24.

Loseva O. V., Leontyeva V. B. Formation of a system of indicators that influence the cost of performing research at a university // Models, systems, networks in economics, technology, nature and society. 2018. No. 2 (26). pp. 48-58.

Mandel B.V. Innovative technologies of pedagogical activity: textbook. - Mode

Moiseev P. S., Yakunina I. N. Digitalization of university activities as a strategic direction for the development of a modern university // In the collection: Digital technologies in the economic sphere: opportunities and prospects. collection of scientific articles. Tambov, 2017. pp. 149-155.

Neborsky E. V. Transformation of development strategies of universities abroad in the context of global risks: dis . ... dr. ped. Sciences: 13.00.01. Moscow, 2018. 396 p. URL : http :// dlib . rsl . ru / rsl 01009000000/ rsl 01009756000/ rsl 01009756263/ rsl 01009756263. pdf

Pankova N. M. University of innovative type: complementarity of liberalism and pragmatism in education: dis . ...cand. Philosopher Sciences: 09.00.11. Tomsk, 2016. 150 pp .

Pogosyan N.V. University mission 4.0 and its innovative features // In the collection: Modern education for the digital economy: new challenges and development prospects. Collection of proceedings of the International Scientific Conference. 2019. pp. 475-484.

Tagunova I. A. Features of trends in the development of education in the context of globalization // Bulletin of the University of the Russian Academy of Education. 2007. No. 4. P. 14-20.

Timokhina E. V. Management of research activities and innovative development of the university: dis . ...cand. econ. Sciences: 08.00.05. Kursk, 2019. 196 pp . URL : http :// dlib . rsl . ru / rsl 01000000/ rsl 01009984000/ rsl 01009984763/ rsl 01009984763. pdf