The organizational and pedagogical principles of the universities of the third age in UK are presented in the thesis. According to the analysis of the results of pedagogical study of world and domestic scientists as well as the educational practices, theoretical approaches to definition of the meaning of education of the elderly for their self-realization presented in current scientific and pedagogical literature have been analysed. The peculiar features of self-realization of elderly people in the universities of the third age (U3A) in UK are defined and characterized: correspondence of conceptual bases, aims, tasks, principles, meaning, forms and methods used to needs, requests and aims of the elderly, and creation of optimal environments for their self-realization; variability of learning programs; subjective position of elderly people in creation, financing, organization and support of U3As; availability of training in U3As; lack of monitoring of the effectiveness of learning process.
The analysis of literature and practice allowed defining the main models of activities of universities of the third age in international practice. The main models of U3A in the present world are French, British, cultural hybrid, French-speaking North American, South American and Chinese. The British model of U3A is considered to be the most complete.
The peculiarities of formation of third age universities in Great Britain are highlighted; organizational and pedagogical principles (aims, principles, rules, meaning, forms and methods) of the universities of the third age in Great Britain are characterized.
The experience of Ukraine in organization of the activities of U3A has been studied. It has been established that the present U3A in Ukraine is an important component of social policy aimed at improving quality of life of the elder generation, maintaining and forming their active attitudes. Organizational and methodological approaches to their creation and practice are different. U3As work on the basis of Territorial centres of social services (provision of social services) and as NGOs; founded by: national non-governmental organizations; movements or charitable foundations in partnership with foreign sponsors, financial institutions, non-state educational institutions and private entities. Thus, socio-pedagogical services dominate. Analysis of the process of development of U3As in Ukraine allowed distinguishing three stages of their formation.
The comparative analysis of the experience of the universities of the third age in the UK and Ukraine revealed progressive ideas of the British experience that deserve implementation in the national educational environment: expanding the interpretation of the conceptual principles of U3A, their tasks and aims; ensuring subjective position of communities and elderly people in their initiation, organization and financing; bringing the principles, content, forms and methods of university to conformity with the needs, demands and aims of the elderly people; ensuring the variability of educational programs, forms and methods of training; improvement of courseware and resources; creating an available environment. Some of these ideas are implemented in the affairs of U3As of Ternopil and Terebovlia community.
