LINGUISTIC MEANS OF CREATING HEI IMAGE IN THE DIGITAL SPACE

Abstract

The article explores the linguistic means used to construct the image of higher education institutions in the digital space, focusing on the functioning of the lexeme university in the About sections of official websites of leading British and American universities. The relevance of the study lies in the growing role of internet discourse in shaping institutional image, the intensification of online communication between universities and their target audiences, and the need to examine linguistic means of self-presentation in the public sphere. The aim of the research is to identify the semantic transformations of the lexeme university in English-language internet discourse and to determine its role as a tool for image positioning. The study draws on lexicographic sources, examples from the British National Corpus, and data from institutional websites. The analysis reveals that the modern lexeme university not only retains its core meaning as an institution of higher education, but also acquires additional connotations related to social responsibility, global challenges, innovation, and international partnerships. The semantic expansion of university in website texts serves as a key tool for institutional self-representation, branding, and positioning in the global educational arena. The research considers both the macro- and microstructure of university websites and employs an interpretive method of lexical analysis.