THE WORLDWIDE UNIVERSITIES NETWORK: DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS

The article is devoted to the urgent problem of the development of inter-university cooperation of Worldwide Universities Network participants. The Net unites 23 universities from different countries. Changes of the modern world, connected with the growing economic cooperation and humanitarian integration among countries, as well as growth of intercultural communication, are actively affecting the education sector and have led to a new phenomenon in the field of education - university networks. Traditionally, network universities are created within existing political and economic associations, but the Worldwide Universities Network project is an exception, as the universities from 14 countries belonging to different regions of the world and different cultures participate in it. This article analyses the experience of interuniversity cooperation of its participants in the context of the possibilities for institutionalizing the ideas of the "dialogue of cultures". The growth of scientific and educational cooperation between WUN universities, numerous joint projects and programs significantly influenced the formation of the "global educational system". Uniqueness of the Network University lies in the successful synchronization of the educational process and the formation of uniform standards of education. However, the different models of education existing in the countries participating in the system of universities create difficulties for more intensive development of cooperation among the parties. However, interaction within WUN contributes to international social and humanitarian integration, convergence of national education systems and development of intercultural communication. Expanding the activities of the university network and studying the most promising areas of its development has become the subject of special scientific interest of the authors of this article.