The sphere of education is in urgent need of a professional academic, able to prepare students for their future profession while mastering new teaching technologies, pedagogical methods, and managerial tools. The present article focuses on the systemic changes needed in higher education. The methodological and theoretical framework of the present research included the concepts of the modern science on the dialectical nature of active cognitive activity as a basis for contextual training. The study was also based on the theoretical foundations of pedagogical education at university. Other fundamental principles included pedagogy and psychology of developing the pedagogical culture of future academics and their personality. The methods involved an analysis of documents and scientific publications on the reform of higher education and empirical experience connected with professional skills of academics. The authors believe that highly specialized professional skills are still valued on the labor market, yet they are gradually being displaced with quasi-professional skills that grant future employees a high level of adaptability, inter-sectoral mobility, and freedom of choice. A modern university has to provide its students with these skills, as well as with the ability of independent learning. As a result, a professional academic has to be able to teach students how to act in a changing environment. The required skills can be mastered by acquiring the culture of independent work based on the assimilation of social experience during practical activities. Students can obtain problem solving skills only via their own social experience. Thus, university education should provide students with experience of solving cognitive, ideological, moral, organizational, and communicative problems. Academics improve their professional skills by building up intellectual experience and professional pedagogical competence. The competence is based on knowledge, skills, life, and professional experience, strict pedagogical culture, and values.