University students’ research work as the most important component of professional training (the case of specialty 32.05.01 Medical and preventive care and training program 43.03.02 Tourism)

Scientific research and innovation play a key role in the modern world as determinants of the development of society, the economy and the state. It is quite obvious that awareness of the importance of developing research competencies in the process of professional training at a university will stimulate the involvement of students in scientific activities, which in the future will make a significant contribution to the development of society as a whole. The problem of the research is to identify students’ ideas about the state of research work at a university. The goal of the research is to reveal the state of students' research work in universities based on students' opinions. The research methods used are general scientific ones (analysis, comparison, generalization, synthesis), survey, explanatory and illustrative methods. The research results are the following: the importance of students' research activities has been substantiated; the opinions of students at a number of universities in the Russian Federation on modern trends in student research work was carried out; Factors that hinder the effective development of students' research work have been identified. Key conclusions: research work of students is an integral basic component of professional training; problems in organizing this type of activity have been identified (lack of understanding of the place of research work in the process of professional training, weak involvement of students, students’ research competencies are not sufficiently developed, etc.); factors inhibiting the active involvement of students in research efforts are employment of students, funding problems, the lack of an effective mechanism for motivating and stimulating young scientists, etc.