Abstract: Ensuring investment attractiveness is one of the most important aspects of a country's economic activity in modern international relations. Foreign investments make it possible not only to ensure expanded social reproduction in the country, but also expand the possibilities of technological and economic development of the state.The purpose of the work is to analyze foreign direct investment in the Russian Federation in general and the Republic of Tatarstan in particular. The analysis and evaluation of statistical data revealed a reduction in the number of projects involving foreign direct investment in Russia in 2017-2020. In modern conditions, it is necessary to recognize the decline in the investment attractiveness of Russia from investors in the United States and Europe, which may lead to an even greater compression of foreign investment flows.   An alternative to foreign investments from the United States of America and Europe can be foreign investments from the countries of the Muslim world.
Already today, Russia has friendly relations with the countries of the Muslim world, in addition, there are entire regions with a high density of Muslim population living on the territory of the Russian Federation. Thus, the Republic of Tatarstan, which is already one of the most investment-attractive regions of the Russian Federation and occupies the 3rd place in the list of regions of the Russian Federation most in demand among foreign investors, could play an important role in increasing the number of foreign direct investment.

Abstract: The fact that many Russian universities offer a wide, but often similar, range of educational services substantiates stiff competition between them, which aggravated in the conditions of protracted global COVID-19 pandemic due to the need for rapid implementation of the tools and methods of distance learning. The educational institutions compete for not only students, by their admission to each specific discipline. The goal is set to analyze the competitive positions and opportunities of the university on the market of educational services in the Russian Federation. The subject of this research is Kazan Innovative University named after V. G. Timiryasov. The research methodology leans on the general theoretical methods, as well as 7P and SWOT analysis. As a result, the author determines the merits and flaws of the university, market opportunities and threats; as well as offers the vectors for improving on the market of educational services. The acquired conclusions on the need to expand the material base, increase the academic degree holders rate, involvement in the grant mechanism, and integration into the real sector of economy are relevant for a great many universities in the Russian Federation.