Most Western and some Russian scholars unanimously claim a death of the classic university as a scientific-educational, social, and cultural institution. The triumph of uncertainty that characterizes postmodernism in general and a postmodern university in particular prevents the author from insisting on the final transformation of classic university into a postmodern one. She rather focuses on the shift of key emphasis of the university paradigm at present.

Education has become a significant tool to mold the human capital in the modern world. At the same time the very formation of the human capital through the implementation of the educational policy suggests exercising a great many of new and often innovative technologies. Such technologies go far beyond the two-component system consisting of the educational and scientific activities and that allows researchers to identify the role of the third component or the third mission, presented mainly in the system of higher education. The authors argue that universities’ third role is complex category, which requires complex analysis and consideration of many national and regional factors in its assessment. The case of Northern - Eastern Federal University named after M.K. Ammosov demonstrates it most vividly.

The paper is devoted to the communication ‘explosion’ of modern media products. The authors consider broadcasting of the same messages different types of mass media. This increases cardinally the dynamics of the humanitarian in modern society. There appears a design similar to the disposition of forces and means accompanying an aircraft carrier on march - order. Using this analogy authors introduce and consider the new term - mediaorder - as an effective form of media activity.

The paper is devoted to the analysis of dynamics of changes in socio-cultural image of European Union in the minds of Russian expertcommunity. It examines the key socio-cultural and political aspects of the perception of the EU’s image by the representatives of the expert community, including leading humanitarian scientists of Moscow universities such as the Russian State University for the Humanities and the Lomonosov Moscow State University. The authors focus on cultural, historical and civilizational dimensions of the EU’s image in the political perception of the Russian experts. They also give a comparativeanalysis of the EU’s image in the pre-crisis period of relations betweenRussia and the EU and in the framework of current political reality.

A presidential election was held in Iran on 12 June 2009 resulting in a victory for a candidate of conservative part of Iranian elite, then acting president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Immediately afterwards the protests of losing candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi supporters began. The protests lasted for more than half a year causing numerous victims and arrests. The two presidential candidates’ campaign rhetoric is of considerable scientific interest since it mobilized a decisive political action of their supporters.

The article considers the influence of cultural development in Saudi Arabia on the strengthening of its position in the world. Since long Saudi Arabia has been isolated from the rest of the world because of its dominating religious factor and its traditional system. This has comprised certain difficulties for the development of the cultural sphere. Today, however, one can witness some changes in this direction.

The paper considers the positions of Canadian Federal Government, Quebec Provincial Government and French Government towards the ideas of organizing the French-Speaking Nations’ summit in 1970s - mid-1980s. Special attention is given to discussions on the format of Quebec participation in the Summit. It analyses Pierre Eliot Trudeau Liberal Government approach and its divergence of opinion with France and Quebec. The author demonstrates the specific features of Brian Mulroney’s conservative cabinet policy that managed to reach a compromise with Paris and Quebec-city. This brought to life the First Francophone Summit in 1986. The paper also clarifies the significance of this event for Canada and Quebec.

This article analyses the development of nuclear energy policy of CEE countries in the context of starting the unified EU energy policy. Enlargement of EU to the east of Europe affected the energy security of CEE countries. CEE new member states of EU were forced to adjust their national energy policies in accordance with the environmental standards of common EU energy policy. Due to the growing EU dependence on imported fossil fuels EU’s governing bodies made a decision to diversify domestic energy consumption, including the development of renewables. Significant differences between the CEE new member states of the EU and the old members of the EU in the field of energy, especially in the field of nuclear energy, resulted in the problem of their energy security depriving a number of CEE countries of the possibility of diversification of their internal energy mix by means of nuclear power. Hence nuclear power became one of the reasons for the split of the EU’s energy space into the western and eastern parts,what negatively affected the development of common energy policy of the European Union.

The paper attempts to analyze the first three months of Vladimir Putin being acting President of the Russian Federation. The author considers ways the Chechen crisis has affected the consolidation of society and the stabilization of state after the crisis in the 90-ies.

The paper considers the policy of the Russian empire’s government relating to the Jews within the period of Anna Ivanovna’s reign(1730-1740). Russian officials sought to exploit the Jews’s potential to revive the economically underdeveloped south of the country and at the same time tried to prevent increased competition between the Jew and merchantry and the related economic interests of the nobility. The author compares the policy of Anna Ivanovna’ government with that of Elizaveta Petrovna’ government. It is noted that during her reign (1742-1761) dignitaries became more active in their desire to convert Jews into Christianity.

The paper analyzes humanitarian aspects in the foreign policy of the small states. These states are characterized by a small population and therefore limited resources for implementation of their foreign policy. So it encourages them to pay greater attention to such aspects of the humanitarian actions as assisting the socio-economic development of pure countries, rendering credits, constructing the economic and social entities. In the context of increase in the armed conflicts, which victim is the civilian population, these countries participate in the resolution of emerging humanitarian problems. Kuwait is one of the small states which demonstrates evident successes in humanitarian programs. The country has been actively participating in the humanitarian sphere since the first years of its obtaining political independence.

The paper is devoted to the peculiarities of the integration processes in the European Union and ASEAN. It also analyzes the circumstances of their foundation and the features of their institutional structure, as well as the role of governmental and non-governmental integration actors. In addition, the author briefly discusses the prospects of both organizations development.

The paper analyzes the phenomenon of “shale revolution” and its impact on modern EU and Russian energy policy. Key attention is paid to the problems of the development of shale gas production in Europe, differences of opinion on these issues among member countries of the EU, direct and indirect effects for Russian energy exports to Europe.

The paper is devoted to the main state institutions and establishments in PSC, responsible for the interaction with compatriots abroad. Special attention is paid to the mechanism of interaction with the huaqiao as agents of national interests.