The article discusses the concept of a business-oriented university, i.e. an institution that is able to cope with the challenges of modern higher education created by the transition to a ?knowledge society?. A definition of a business-oriented university is given, and a framework is suggested for estimating the level of business activity of a university and for conducting strategic planning of the university’s activity. The role of business-oriented universities in industrial clusters is shown, and the importance of social networks of alumni in the development of business- oriented universities is demonstrated.