Nowadays the aim of achieving advanced global indicators and the scientific and technological development of Russia are priorities and general challenges for the contemporary system of higher education. Social challenges require that the quality of educational process be ensured by means of intensive introduction of digital technologies thereto, on the one hand, and active training and support of the learners, on the other hand. Online technologies, with its basic peculiarity of remote functioning, have become ingrained into the everyday lives of those involved in the educational process in any educational institution. This happened despite the fact that numerous disputes and discussions are still being held about whether the said technologies should be considered compulsory and necessary, what limits the online component should have, what the criteria of its effectiveness and its expected outcomes should be, and so on. The employer’s requirements to the system of higher education, which has the development of education and research as its main objective, are also changing. Modern employers want a university graduate to possess skills in economic thinking and practical activity, flexibility and certain tempo. It is obvious that the said requirements will result in developing a combination of certain digital culture and strategy, which will enable universities to preserve their status as centers for education and research, which meet the challenges of modern times.