Modern trends and qualification requirements to pedagogues in terms of the competency-based approach have foregrounded the issue of training of university professors. The article includes the analysis of pedagogical components of professional activity of university professors. The necessity of pedagogical training of professors without basic pedagogical education is substantiated. Theoretical analysis of numerous scientific papers provided the possibility to reflect views of scholars on this issue. In order to fulfill their mission, pedagogues need to be ready to solve professional pedagogical tasks, have a basic level of professional pedagogical competence. Diagnostic methods of research included: analysis of scientific publications and regulatory legal documents, as well as a questionnaire survey with the use of the application developed by Google Company, Google Forms. The resulting conclusions of the said research are used by the authors as exploratory research. The analysis of the results of the survey reveals that the majority of professors, irrespective of the length of their pedagogical activity, understand the necessity to constantly update their ideas about methods and technologies of training at university, introduce modern educational technologies into the training process and need the corresponding knowledge.

competence approach, competence, education, pedagogical activity, university professor, pedagogical component.