The experience of spiritual and moral education of students in higher education (domestic and foreign experience)

Background. Spiritual and moral education of students is one of the key tasks of modern higher education, especially in the context of globalization and rapidly changing social values. The relevance of the study is due to the need to analyze and systematize existing approaches to spiritual and moral education in higher education both in Russia and abroad. In the conditions of modern society, where the need for specialists possessing not only professional competencies, but also high moral qualities is increasing, spiritual and moral education is becoming the most important factor in the preparation of competitive and socially responsible graduates. Purpose. The purpose of the study is to identify the most effective methods and practices of spiritual and moral education of students based on a comparative analysis of domestic and foreign experience. The study is supposed to analyze the theoretical foundations, study the experience of Russian and foreign universities, and formulate recommendations for improving the system of spiritual and moral education in higher education. Materials and methods. The work uses methods of theoretical analysis of scientific literature, comparative analysis of educational practices, as well as empirical methods: questionnaires of students and interviews with teachers from Russian and foreign universities. The empirical base of the study includes data from sociological surveys, materials from expert interviews, official statistics and the results of the analysis of spiritual and moral education programs implemented in leading universities in Russia and other countries. Results. The results of the study showed that the most effective are integrative approaches that combine traditional values ​​​​with modern educational technologies. It was revealed that successful practices of spiritual and moral education include: the introduction of specialized courses on ethics and philosophy, the organization of volunteer activities, the creation of student discussion clubs, as well as the integration of ethical components into professional disciplines. It was found that foreign experience is characterized by greater secularism and an emphasis on civic responsibility, while the domestic approach is more often based on traditional spiritual values. A conclusion was made about the need to develop a comprehensive model of spiritual and moral education adapted to Russian realities, but taking into account the best world practices. EDN: RWPRAK