Scrutinized is the structure of notions of the idea and mission of a university, analyzed is the crisis of the classical models of university in the context of the transition from the industrialism to the computerized era. Argued for is the necessity for a modern university for selfdetermination. Considered are the views of modern higher education researchers on the idea of university. The author introduces sociocultural reasons for the formulation of the mission of a modern university and provides arguments for the dependence of structural characteristics of a university on its mission.