Quality of higher education for the sustainable development of Ukraine under conditions of war and post-war recovery
Abstract
In the article, the authors note that the modern world is facing numerous global-scale challenges and problems, which are associated with increasing social inequality and discrimination, economic crises, poverty in most countries of the world, and environmental issues that directly affect the quality of life and the existence of future generations. These factors have prompted humanity to reconsider the principles of human life on a planetary scale, which, in the institutional dimension, has taken the form of the concept of sustainable (balanced) development. This concept envisages consideration of the social, economic, and environmental aspects of the functioning of civilization as a whole.
The authors examine the factors contributing to the improvement of the quality of higher education for the sustainable development of Ukraine under conditions of war and post-war recovery. It is substantiated that the quality of higher education for sustainable development serves as a priority direction for building a knowledge-based society and ensuring balanced social, economic, and environmental development. Improving the quality of higher education requires value-based and institutional transformations aimed at forming a competent and socially responsible individual.
The factors for improving the quality of higher education in Ukraine under the destructive impact of war are identified as follows: creating conditions for the safe functioning of higher education institutions; urgent restoration of educational infrastructure; digitalization of the educational sphere; increasing funding for educational activities in higher education institutions; involvement of employers in cooperation with higher education institutions; development and implementation of standards for assessing the quality of higher education under wartime conditions.
The priority strategic directions for the development of higher education and the improvement of its quality in the post-war recovery of Ukraine are determined, including: integration of the national education system into the global and European educational space; recognition and nostrification of national diplomas and academic degrees; digitalization of higher education; strengthening human resources capacity in the field of higher education; a balanced approach to professional training and labor market and employer demands; development of research-based education as a component of sustainable development; and ensuring the implementation of mechanisms of autonomy of national higher education institutions.
The authors argue that the quality of higher education for sustainable development is a priority direction in the development of Ukrainian society. A promising area for further research is the study of mechanisms for balancing the quality of higher education and in-demand specialties in accordance with labor market requirements, as well as the formation of modern youth policy in the context of the development of the knowledge society and digitalization.
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