Introduction. Reforming the higher education system in general and postgraduate studies in particular requires the identification of new models for the development of the postgraduate system, allowing us to resolve the accumulated problems, the consequence of which is the low performance of postgraduate students who complete their studies without defending dissertations. The scientific task of the study is determined by the need to adapt the ecosystem approach to the conditions and characteristics of graduate school, which acts as a subsystem of the organizational structure of a university, having a wide branch network, and strives, in the transition from scientific and educational activities to interaction with environmental actors, to increase its effectiveness in training scientific and pedagogical personnel.

The research purpose is to develop an approach to the development of postgraduate studies at a higher educational institution with a wide network of branches, based on the principles of ecosystems functioning.

Methodology. The methodological basis of the study was a systematic approach and content analysis of scientific publications, comparison and generalization of research materials, the method of paired comparisons and construction of graphs, the method of constructing mental maps and performing SWOT analysis, the method of expert surveys of stakeholders and abstraction in the process of algorithms constructing, methods of constructing morphological matrices and hierarchy of goals, as well as individual procedures for strategic management of the socio-economic systems development.

Results. It is shown that higher education reforms in relation to the training of scientific and pedagogical personnel require new models that ensure an increase in the effectiveness of postgraduate studies. A mental map has been constructed that gives an idea of the main characteristics of the ecosystem as a socio-economic phenomenon, which is distinguished by a comprehensive representation of the main elements, which allows us to obtain a complete picture of the properties of such a system. The most significant problems, reducing the effectiveness of training scientific and pedagogical personnel and the postgraduate training potential, have been identified through expert assessments, obtained as a result of surveys of applicants, postgraduate students, postgraduate graduates, scientific supervisors and postgraduate workers, which in the future will form the basis for reaching strategically significant decisions, based on the results of constructing the corresponding matrices. An algorithm has been developed for forming a strategy for the university graduate school development with an extensive branch network, which is based on the desire to organize an educational ecosystem of graduate school focusing on intensive interaction with actors in the external environment, which will not only increase the graduate school efficiency, but also the efficiency of all the participants in the formed networks.

Conclusions. The results of the analysis of the factors of the external and internal environment of the postgraduate system of all branches of the university allows us to obtain the primary information necessary to determine strategically significant decisions and build a system of goals aimed at building a postgraduate educational ecosystem, the synergistic effects of which make it possible to both increase the effectiveness of training scientific and pedagogical personnel, and, in general, improve the efficiency of the university, the region, and the country as a whole.

Keywords: systems approach, analysis, morphological matrix, mental map, graduate school, performance, algorithm, strategy, ecosystem