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Developing the resilience of first-year students under martial law in Ukraine

by Dr Hanna Afuzova | NW 10 Teacher Education Research, NW 5 Children and Youth at Risk and Urban Education, UERA

War traumatises everyone it touches, especially children and young people. The World Health Organisation has noted that at least 10% of people who have experienced traumaticevents as a result of armed conflict have had serious mental health problems (and 10% of them will have behaviours that interfere with their ability to function effectively). The aggravation of the military conflict in Ukraine has made it important to implement the project “Development of Resilience of First-Level Higher Education Students in the Context of the Military Conflict in Ukraine”, which was made possible by the Ukrainian Educational Researchers Association with the support of the European Educational Research Association.

This study was conducted at the Faculty of Special and Inclusive Education of the Dragomanov Ukrainian State University (Kyiv) at the beginning of the academic year 2022-2023. Students had started studying from a distance, not only in different regions of Ukraine, but also in other countries as refugees.

Why focus on first-year students in Ukraine?

In the current realities of Ukraine, first-year students at Ukrainian universities are at risk of deteriorating mental health. Former school leavers had not yet fully adapted to the challenges and restrictions of receiving educational services in the COVID-19 pandemic [8; 15; 17], and the start of professional training again required a change in lifestyle, way of thinking, attitude towards themselves and others, in accordance with the requirements of the newly developing social situation [6; 9; 10; 11; 14]. And all this was happening against the backdrop of escalating military aggression by the Russian Federation, which was accompanied not only by a risk to life and health, but could also cause mental trauma or damage to basic structures of personality, starting with physiological reactions to stress, and ending with the general picture of the world and self-image [18].

After the first week of studying at the university under martial law, Ukrainian first-year students reported a deterioration in their mental health: symptoms of distress (asthenia, increased anxiety, lowmood, restless sleep, tension) and somatisation (headaches) prevailed. In some cases, this was combined with certain manifestations of anxiety (anxiety/panic attacks, fear of public embarrassment). More than half of the surveyed first-year students associated the deterioration of their mental health with their studies and the situation in Ukraine (52.1% and 66.2%, respectively) [2].

Why focus on resilience?

Adaptation to a difficult life situation, and overcoming and preventing negative consequences, is significantly influenced by the availability of certain personal resources. In this context, it is worth talking about resilience as a systemic element in the structure of a well-being personality, a positive mental state that leads to adequate adaptation in adverse circumstances. At the same time, resilience should be viewed as a resource that allows a person to choose the appropriate type of coping [13].

Resilience as a factor in maintaining mental health under martial law can be defined as an individual’s ability to return to normal functioning and to restore the previous state after a certain period of maladjustment due to stressful experiences[7]. It is also about the individual’s ability to prevent the emergence and exacerbation of psychological problems and dysfunctional disorders by “mitigating” the impact of the socio-psychological consequences of emergencies by actualising their own internal resources[3]. In other words, resilience should be viewed as a continuous, active process of emergence or development of new forces and resources for adaptation and recovery, which has uneven dynamics in the face of new risks [12].

According to the results of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), 38% ofUkrainian first-year students do not have the skills to maintain and support mental health, which is confirmed by their low levels of resilience [5]. Accordingly, these students have a reduced ability to influence a complex or atypical situation, lose their own resources, have difficulties in solving new challenges and issues of life, and have difficulties adapting.[16].

What contributes to preserving and restoring Ukrainian students mental health?

The structure of resilience includes three components:

cognitive – represented by such components as openness to experience, tolerance to uncertainty and positive thinking
emotional – involves emotional stability, emotional intelligence and extraversion
behavioural – search activity, prosocial behaviour [3].

In other words, if a person does not lose the ability to think flexibly in an objectively or subjectively difficult life situation, he or she is more likely to be able to regulate his or her emotional state and prevent a physiological stress response. Given an adequate emotional response, they will seek a constructive solution to the problem, including by seeking social support.

The level of resilience of Ukrainian first-year students is closely related to the following components:

extraversion – orientation towards other people, connections with them, support
prosocial behaviour – orientation towards socially useful actions
emotional stability – orientation towards emotional self-regulation
openness to experience – orientation towards learning new experiences and skills

The level of resilience also depends on the complexity of the problems faced by the student [4].

How to develop first-year students’ mental health under martial law

The innate ability of a person to be more or less resistant to stress should not be underestimated. However, without either a spontaneous (by imitating the stress-resistant response of significant others and identifying with them) or specially–organised process of acquiring resilience skills, this may not be enough when the traumatic nature of the situation exceeds the individual’s inborn reserves to withstand its negative impact.

Therefore, a training programme on developing resilience in first-year students was developed to familiarise participants with a set of psychological tools that will help harmonise their self-image, self-concept and attitude to themselves; actualise and activate self-knowledge processes; and form emotional and behavioural self-regulation skills that will strengthen their psychological stability (resilience).

This training programme consists of six modules, each of which contributes to forming and developing important mental health competencies:

The ability to communicate, develop relationships with other people, and to seek social support
The ability to express their thoughts and feelings, focus their attention, and be empathetic to themselves
The ability to identify and build on their value orientations, understand the meaning of their lives
Positive thinking skills to strengthen self-confidence and increase their self-esteem
The ability to build mutual support and effective cooperation and nurture life-giving relationships
The building of skills for effective regulation of energy and emotions [1].

The programme was attended by 18 first-year students. 7 students took part in a one-day offline course, while the remaining 11 students were involved in two online psychological support groups and received training over a six-week period.

After participating in the scheme, 75% of the participants showed positive changes in their resilience, especially among the participants of the online psychological support groups. However, given the small number of students who had an objective opportunity to take the training in the harsh realities of Ukraine, it is worth talking about the need for further testing.

Activities to preserve and restore students’ mental health are ongoing. Elements of the training programme are used in the educational process in such disciplines as Psychological Counselling, Psychological Rehabilitation, Psychological Correction, etc. The training programme is also being actively implemented in the work of the Centre for Psychological Support and Social Adaptation at the Faculty of Special and Inclusive Education of Dragomanov Ukrainian State University.

Key Messages

At least 10% of people who experience traumatic events, such as the war in Ukraine have serious mental health problems
A project by the Ukrainian Educational Researchers Association and EERA was launched to support Ukrainian first-year students
The project focused on first-year students, as they were coping with the after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the transition from school to professional training
Ukrainian students reported a deterioration in their mental health after the first week of studying at the university
The EERA and UERA programme focused on building the resilience of Ukrainian students, to help them cope with the stress of studying during martial law
75% of participants showed positive changes in their resilience after taking part in the programme
Futher activities to preserve and restore students’ mental health in Ukraine are ongoing

Dr Hanna Afuzova

Associate Professor of the Department of Special Psychology and Medicine, Faculty of Special and Inclusive Education, Drahomanov University, Ukraine

Hanna Afuzova holds a PhD in Psychology and is an Associate Professor of the Department of Special Psychology and Medicine, Faculty of Special and Inclusive Education, Ukrainian State Drahomanov University (Kyiv, Ukraine)

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8112-8943

Researcher ID: HZI-0197-2023

References and Further Reading

Afuzova, H. (Eds.). (2023). Rozvytok rezylientnosti zdobuvachiv pershoho rivnia vyshchoi osvity v umovakh voiennoho konfliktu na terytorii Ukrainy [Development of resilience of first-level higher education students in the context of military conflict in Ukraine]. Retrieved from URL Методичні рекомендації з розвитку резильєнтності – Google Диск [in Ukrainian].
Afuzova, H. V., Naydonova, G. O., & Krotenko, V. I. (2022). Osoblyvosti psykhichnoho zdorovia pershokursnykiv na etapi adaptatsii do profesiinoho navchannia v umovakh voiennoho stanu [Features of The Mental Health of First-Year Students at the Stage of Adaptation to Professional Education Under Martial Law]. Habitus, 41, 278–273. https://doi.org/10.32782/2663-5208.2022.41.49 [in Ukrainian].
Afuzova, H. , Naydonova, G. O., & Krotenko, V. I. (2023). Rezylientnist yak chynnyk zberezhennia psykhichnoho zdorovia v umovakh voiennoho stanu [Resilience as a factor in maintaining mental health under martial law]. Habitus, 53, 100–104. http://habitus.od.ua/journals/2023/53-2023/16.pdf [in Ukrainian].
Afuzova, H., Krotenko, V., & Naydonova, G. (2023). Rozvytok rezylientnosti pershokursnykiv na etapi adaptatsii do profeisinoho navchannia v umovakh voiennoho stanu [Development of first-year students’ resilience at the stage of adaptation to professional training under martial law], Psykhichne zdorovia v umovakh viiny: shliakhy zberezhennia ta vidnovlennia: zbirnyk materialiv I Vseukrainskoi naukovo-praktychnoi konferentsii (z mizhnarodnoiu uchastiu) [Mental health in the conditions of war: ways of preservation and restoration: collection of materials of the First All-Ukrainian Scientific and Practical Conference (with international participation)]. Kyiv, 5–8. [in Ukrainian].
Afuzova, H., Naydonova, G., & Krotenko, V. (2023). A study of Ukrainian first-year students’ resilience at the stage of adaptation to training and professional activities under martial law. Studies in Comparative Education, (1), 4–13. https://doi.org/10.31499/2306-5532.1.2023.288413
Androsovych, K. A. (2015). Psykholohichni chynnyky sotsialnoi adaptatsii pershokursnykiv v umovakh osvitnoho seredovyshcha profesiino-tekhnichnoho navchalnoho zakladu [Psychological Factors of Social Adaptation of Freshmen in the Educational Environment of a Vocational School]. (Candidate`s thesis). Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University. Severodonetsk. [in Ukrainian].
Assonov, D., & Khaustova, O. (2019). Rozvytok kontseptsii rezyliiensu v naukovii literaturi protiahom ostannikh rokiv [Development of the concept of resistance in the scientific literature in recent years]. Psykhosomatychna medytsyna ta zahalna praktyka, 4(4), e0404219. https://doi.org/10.26766/pmgp.v4i3-4.219 https://uk.e-medjournal.com/index.php/psp/article/view/219 [in Ukrainian].
Education and COVID-19: challenges and opportunities (2020). Retrieved from URLhttps://en.ccunesco.ca/idealab/education-and-covid-19-challenges-and-opportunities
Enes, R., & Tahsin, I. (2016). Coping styles, social support, relational self-construal, and resilience in predicting students’ adjustment to university life, educational sciences. Theory and Practice, 16(1), 187– https://doi.org/10.12738/estp.2016.1.0058
Fryer, L. K. (2017). (Latent) transitions to learning at university: A latent profile transition analysis of first-year Japanese students. Higher Education, 73(3), 519– https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-016-0094-9
Gonta, I., & Bulgac, A. (2019). The Adaptation of Students to the Academic Environment in University. Revista Romaneasca Pentru Educatie Multidimensionala, 11(3), 34-44. https://doi.org/10.18662/rrem/137
Grygorenko, Z., & Naydonova, G. (2023). The concept of “resilience”: history of formation and approaches to definition. Public administration and law review, (2), 76–88. https://doi.org/10.36690/2674-5216-2023-2-76-88
Kireieva, Z. O., Odnostalko, O. S., & Biron, B. V. (2020). Psykhometrychnyi analiz adaptovanoi versii shkaly rezylientnosti (CD-RISC-10) [Psychometric Analysis of the Adapted Version of the Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10)]. Habitus, 14, 110-116. https://doi.org/10.32843/2663- 5208.2020.14.17 [in Ukrainian].
Nelson, K. J., Smith, J. E., & Clarke, J. A. (2012). Enhancing the transition of commencing students into university: an institution-wide approach. Higher Education Research & Development, 31(2), 185-199. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2011.556108
Nestorenko, Т., & Pokusa, Т. (Eds.). (2020). Education during a pandemic crisis: problems and prospects. Opole: The Academy of Management and Administration in Opole.
Odnostalko, O. S. (2020). Resursy stiikosti osobystosti v umovakh skladnykh ta netypovykh sytuatsii zhyttia [Resources of Personality Stability in the Conditions of Difficult and Atypical Situations of Life]. (Candidate`s thesis). Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University. Lutsk. [in Ukrainian].
Özüdoğru, G. (2021). Problems faced in distance education during Covid-19 Pandemic. Participatory Educational Research, 8(4), 321-333. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.21.92.8.4
Ulko, N. M. (2016). Psykhoeduktsiia yak chynnyk sotsialno-psykholohichnoi reabilitatsii [Psychoeduction as a Factor of Socio-Psychological Rehabilitation], Sotsialno-profesiina mobilnist v umovakh suchasnoi osvity: materialy Mizhnarodnoi naukovo-praktychnoi konferentsii [Social and Professional Mobility in The Conditions of Modern Education: International Conference Proceedings]. Kyiv, р. 16. [in Ukrainian].
World Health Organization. World health report 2001 – Mental health: new understanding, new hope. Geneva: Switzerland; 2001. [Google Scholar]

The ERIKA Project to explore Ukrainian scholars’ digital mastery

by Drs Koblianska & Kostetska | NW 1 Professional Learning and Development, NW 9 Assessment, Evaluation, Testing and Measurement, UERA

In the ever-evolving landscape of academia, the intersection of the digital realm with traditional research methodologies underscores the pressing need for scholars to embrace evolving competencies. This blog post navigates the digital horizon, emphasizing the imperative integration of open science principles, data literacy, and research competencies for researchers to thrive in the dynamic academic ecosystem. Focusing on the insights gleaned from the 2022-2023Enhancing Empirical Academic Research in Ukraine (ERIKA) project, this exploration sheds light on a critical digital skills gap among Ukrainian academics.

The need for digital competency among researchers

As society transitions into an era where data shapes an intangible reality, the transformative role of science and innovation becomes evident (Lagoudakis et al., 2022; Tavares et al., 2022). Acknowledging that the very entities driving digital transformations must undergo significant changes (Ayris et al., 2018; European Commission, 2020a, 2020b), the expert community underscores the core competencies of a modern “Digital Scholar,” including Open Science practices, adherence to FAIR principles, and proficiency in data management (Van Petegem et al., 2021; Weller, 2018).

International studies further reveal a global lack of digital competencies among researchers, emphasizing the need for enhanced professional training programs and continuous education to meet the demands of the digital age (Cabero-Almenara et al., 2021; Dias-Trindade & Albuquerque, 2022; EU DGRI, 2017, 2020; Suyo-Vega et al., 2022; EU DGRI & EOSC EB, 2021).

Regrettably, the situation in Ukraine mirrors this global trend. Compared to many other countries, comprehensive studies assessing the digital competencies of researchers in Ukraine are notably limited (Hladchenko et al., 2018; Hladchenko, 2022). The absence of such research poses a significant challenge, as it inhibits our ability to identify specific areas of weakness and design targeted interventions to uplift the digital skills of Ukrainian academics.

The ERIKA project

The ERIKA project, conducted in 2023, provides a noteworthy snapshot of the digital competencies among Ukrainian scholars. This initiative, supported by the Ukrainian Educational Research Association and the European Educational Research Association, aimed to enhance empirical academic research capabilities in Ukraine.

The ERIKA project engaged over 50 participants from 13 Ukrainian regions, representing 29 higher education institutions. The participants, ranging from senior lecturers to professors, covered diverse disciplines and career levels, providing a comprehensive view of the academic landscape.

The training sessions, held in March and October 2023, facilitated in-depth discussions and insights into the digital competencies of Ukrainian academics. The multifaceted and nuanced responses of participants shed light on the challenges and opportunities within the country’s academic community.

The competency gap revealed by the ERIKA survey

It was found that 80% of surveyed respondents demonstrated only superficial awareness of open science principles. A further 40% needed to be made aware of the FAIR guidelines, underlining the urgent need for initiatives that promote open science literacy.

In a world dominated by vast datasets and interconnected information, only 19% of Ukrainian academics exhibited proficiency in working with common data file formats like CSV and JSON. The need for more understanding regarding metadata, reported by 71% of respondents, raises concerns about the effectiveness of data-sharing practices.

A significant gap exists in the awareness of available national open data resources, hindering the potential for impactful research studies that utilise real-world data. This knowledge gap is detrimental to the nation’s academic community, limiting their ability to engage in cutting-edge research.

The survey uncovered deficiencies in basic research skills, such as crafting focused search queries, applying Boolean operators, and locating relevant datasets. These fundamental skills are the building blocks of impactful, evidence-based research.

While most respondents demonstrated awareness of the risks associated with predatory publishing, only 15% could independently assign Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) to enhance the discoverability of their research outputs. This finding is concerning, especially considering the increasing requirement for DOIs in academic publishing after 2022 (due to National regulations).

The survey revealed a need for more utilisation of reference management tools, with 63% of respondents admitting to never using platforms like Zotero, Mendeley, and EndNote. Additionally, 71% had minimal legal and ethical understanding regarding use of personal data in research studies.

Encouragingly, despite these challenges, nearly half of the surveyed researchers who had yet to gain prior grant application experience expressed eagerness to build expertise in this area. This enthusiasm bodes well for the future, as acquiring grant-writing skills opens avenues for accessing national and international funding opportunities.

The development of a training program on data skills for academics

The ERIKA project highlights the pressing need for tailored programs to build digital competencies among Ukrainian academics. Bridging the identified gaps in open science, data handling, and research fundamentals is crucial to unlocking the nation’s scientific potential and integrating it into the global and European research ecosystem. In this context, the importance and urgency of creating well-designed professional training programs at educational institutions is evident, and a more centralized approach under the Ministry of Education and Science Leadership could be the best choice.

The “ERIKA” case is a successful example of a professional training program. The final assessment results demonstrated that the topics proposed in the “ERIKA” course (Koblianska & Kostetska, 2023), their content, and the training organization help address the outlined problems and improve researchers’ competencies.

The project entails developing and teaching an integrated educational course with two modules:

1) “Data Collection for Academic Research” (3 ECTS)

2) “Academic Research in EU Countries: Institutional, Organizational and Motivational Dimensions” (3 ECTS)

The first module covers open science principles and its role in modern research; data collection, analysis, and management in academic research, including legal and ethical components; skills for finding scientific information and formulating search queries; and practical data work aspects.

The second module examines organizing academic research in EU countries, particularly the scientific personnel training system, graduate and doctoral program structures, establishing academic communication, publishing research results, review procedures, and motivational factors affecting researcher productivity. The “ERIKA” experience could be scalable.

Conclusion

As we navigate the increasingly digital and data-intensive academic world, sustained monitoring and responsive training programs are pivotal for ensuring researchers’ success in Ukraine. The collaboration between the Ukrainian Educational Research Association and the European Educational Research Association exemplifies the importance of such initiatives in enhancing research capabilities and quality. By addressing the digital skills gap, Ukraine can position itself as a formidable force in the global academic arena, contributing substantively to advancing knowledge and innovation. Bridging the digital divide is not just a necessity; it is a pathway to unlocking the full potential of Ukrainian scholarship on the world stage.

The post image was generated via Dream Studio AI

Key Messages

Digital Competency Urgency. In the evolving landscape of academia, there is a pressing need for scholars to embrace evolving digital competencies, emphasizing the integral role of skills like open science principles and data literacy.
Global Digital Competency Trends. International studies reveal a pervasive lack of digital competencies among researchers globally, sparking discussions on the necessity of enhanced professional training programs and continuous education.
Ukraine’s Digital Skills Gap. We shed light on the concerning trend in Ukraine, mirroring the global situation, where comprehensive studies assessing the digital competencies of researchers are notably limited, posing a significant challenge.
ERIKA Project Results. The ERIKA project in 2023 provides a snapshot of digital competencies among Ukrainian scholars, engaging participants from diverse disciplines and career levels, offering insights into challenges and opportunities within the academic community.
Survey Insights and Concerns. Surprising survey findings indicate gaps in open science principles awareness, proficiency in working with data file formats, and deficiencies in basic research skills, emphasizing the need for tailored programs.
Call to Action. The need for tailored programs to bridge identified gaps in open science, data handling, and research fundamentals, is urgent, positioning Ukraine as a formidable force in the global academic arena.

Dr Inna Koblianska

Associate Professor of the Department of Economics, Entrepreneurship, and Business Administration of Sumy State University

Dr Koblianska is an Associate Professor of the Department of Economics, Entrepreneurship, and Business Administration of Sumy State University. Her scientific interests include sustainable development, regional development, spatial economy, and logistics management. She is the laureate of the award of the President of Ukraine for young scientists (2019).

She is ERIKA Project Executor, responsible for the development and teaching of the Data Collection for Academic Research module.

Internship: Sustainable Farming Assessment (2017, Bern University of Applied Sciences); School of Agricultural Economics (IAMO, Halle (Saale), 2019); Educational training session on data collection (Statistics Germany and University of Applied Sciences Weinstein-Triesdorf, 2019); DAAD projects (University of Applied Sciences Weienstefan-Triesdorf, 2018-2022); Applied econometric analysis using R (German-Ukrainian Agricultural Policy Dialogue and IAMO, 2021).

She is the author of numerous scientific works.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7844-9786 https://econ.biem.sumdu.edu.ua/en/inna-koblianska

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Dr Iryna Kostetska

Senior Lecturer, Department of Economic Theory, Management and Marketing, National University of Ostroh Academy

Dr Kostetska is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Economic Theory, Management and Marketing, National University of Ostroh Academy. Her scientific interests include business planning in agricultural enterprises and strategic planning of the development of rural areas.

She is ERIKA’s project manager, responsible for the development and teaching of the educational module Academic research in EU: institutional, organizational and motivational dimensions.

Internship under the programs of the French Agricultural Institute (SevrEurope de Bressuire, l’IREO de Bressuire, France 2009, 2010), the Polish-American Freedom Foundation (Lane Kirkland Program, Poland 2018-2019), the Polish UNESCO Committee (Poland 2019), the Visegrad Foundation (2021-2022). She worked on economic and regional development projects with the support of USAID, the British Council in Ukraine, and the Czech Republic.

She is the author of numerous scientific works.

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5340-0145

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References and Further Reading

Ayris, P., Lopez de San Roman, A., Maes, K., & Labastida, I. (2018). Open Science and its role in universities: A roadmap for cultural change. LERU. https://www.leru.org/publications/open-science-and-its-role-in-universities-a-roadmap-for-cultural-change (access date: 10.09.2023)

Cabero-Almenara, J., Guillén-Gámez, F. D., Ruiz-Palmero, J., & Palacios-Rodríguez, A. (2021). Digital competence of higher education professor according to DigCompEdu. Statistical research methods with ANOVA between fields of knowledge in different age ranges. Education and Information Technologies, 26(4), 4691–4708. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10476-5

Dias-Trindade, S., & Albuquerque, C. (2022). University Teachers’ Digital Competence: A Case Study from Portugal. Social Sciences, 11(10), 481. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11100481

EU DGRI & EOSC EB. (2021). Digital skills for FAIR and Open Science: Report from the EOSC Executive Board Skills and Training Working Group. European Commission. Directorate General for Research and Innovation. EOSC Executive Board. Publications Office. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/59065

EU DGRI. (2020). Country sheets analysis: Report from the EOSC Executive Board Working Group (WG) Landscape. Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (European Commission). Publications Office of the European Union. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/568900

EU DGRI. (2017). Providing researchers with the skills and competencies they need to practise Open Science.European Commission. Directorate General for Research and Innovation. Publications Office. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/121253

European Comission. (2020a). Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027). European Education Area. https://education.ec.europa.eu/node/1518 (access date: 10.09.2023)

European Comission. (2020b). Research and innovation strategy 2020-2024. https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/strategy/strategy-2020-2024_en (access date: 10.09.2023)

Hladchenko, M. (2022). Implications of Publication Requirements for the Research Output of Ukrainian Academics in Scopus in 1999–2019. Journal of Data and Information Science, 7(3), 71–93. https://doi.org/10.2478/jdis-2022-0016

Hladchenko, M., Dobbins, M., &Jungblut, J. (2018). Exploring Change and Stability in Ukrainian Higher Education and Research: A Historical Analysis Through Multiple Critical Junctures. Higher Education Policy, 33. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41307-018-0105-9

Lagoudakis, M. G., Gkizeli, M., Fotiou, A., Fragkedaki, D., &Kollnig, S. (2022). Teaching and Research in the Digital World. BHM Berg- Und HüttenmännischeMonatshefte, 167(10), 489–494. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00501-022-01283-7

Koblianska I., Kostetska I. (2023). Enhancing Empirical Academic Research in Ukraine: training materials. Zenodo. 124 p. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7817137

Suyo-Vega, J. A., Meneses-La-Riva, M. E., Fernández-Bedoya, V. H., Ocupa-Cabrera, H. G., Alvarado-Suyo, S. A., da Costa Polonia, A., Miotto, A. I., & Gago-Chávez, J. de J. S. (2022). University teachers’ self-perception of digital research competencies. A qualitative study conducted in Peru. Frontiers in Education, 7. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2022.1004967 (access date: 10.09.2023)

Tavares, M. C., Azevedo, G., & Marques, R. P. (2022). The Challenges and Opportunities of Era 5.0 for a More Humanistic and Sustainable Society—A Literature Review. Societies, 12(6), Article 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc12060149

Van Petegem, W., Bosman, J., De Klerk, M., & Strydom, S. (2021). Evolving as a Digital Scholar: Teaching and Researching in a Digital World. Leuven University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv20zbkk0

Weller, M. (2018). The Digital Scholar Revisited: The Digital Scholar: Philosopher’s Lab, 1(2), 52–71. https://doi.org/10.5840/dspl20181218

Sustainable university: A model of development in post-war Ukraine

by Nataliia Kholiavko and Iryna Didenko | UERA

Sustainable development is one of the most topical concepts of our time. Established corporations, small businesses, NGOs, universities, and governments of leading countries strive to adhere to the principles of this concept. Being sustainable creates additional competitive advantages, and positively impacts the organisation’s reputation and recognition (perception) in society.

Sustainable development is often associated only with environmental measures and initiatives (environmental protection: clean water and sanitation; climate action; life below water; life on land). However, this is an incomplete vision that limits the nature of sustainability. Although the environmental component is extremely important in ensuring sustainable development, it is wrong to reduce the idea of sustainability exclusively to ecological aspects. The comprehensive sustainable development includes also economic (decent work and economic growth; industry, innovation and infrastructure; reduced inequality; responsible consumption and production) and social (zero hunger and poverty; good health and well-being; quality education; gender equality; peace, justice and strong institutions) aspects.

Since 2022 Ukraine has been facing terrible challenges of war. Higher education institutions have been subjected to enemy attacks by Russian troops and heavy shelling, as a result of which they are wholly or partially destroyed. Educational and research infrastructure, dormitory buildings and administrative structures were damaged. But the main and most painful thing for Ukrainian universities is the loss of intellectual capital due to the death or migration abroad of Ukrainian colleagues because of military operations in Ukraine. In the post-war period, much attention should be paid to the restoration of educational institutions in the country.

We support the idea that the post-war recovery of Ukrainian higher education should be made in the framework of sustainable development. Thus, we decided to study the situation in world-leading universities and build our own sustainable development model for Ukrainian universities in the post-war period.

Sustainable development of Higher Education Institutions worldwide

Fig. 1. Conceptual scheme of the Model of the University Sustainable Development

Source: developed by the authors

This study employs the analytical method of cognition. To achieve the most objective results of the research, we studied the HEIs included in the international rating – Times Higher Education Impact Rankings (THE Impact Rankings). The study covered HEIs from all over the world, which were ranked top 50. This enabled us to eliminate subjectivity in the assessment of the progress of world universities in terms of sustainable development.

The analysis of cases of leading higher education institutions allowed us to identify key aspects and components of ensuring sustainable development. The results of the conceptualization of our model of sustainable development of HEIs are shown in Fig. 1.

The ‘core’ of the model is the institution of higher education itself, represented by the synergy of the interaction of:

– students through their unconventional, creative thinking;

– researchers through their innovative developments and inventions;

– teachers through their initiative and innovative approaches to working with young people;

– management and administrative personnel through their ability to motivate, encourage and support.

Successful implementation of sustainable development models for HEIs requires coordinated interaction among all participants in the educational process, both by themselves and with stakeholders (public, local and central authorities, business, developing relevant regulatory support, and strengthening of the institutional capacity of universities. The key factor for the success of this model is the availability of stable support for sustainable initiatives both from the management of the HEI and from partners. Such support can be material and technical, financial, organizational, consulting, expert, methodological, informational, and so on.

The main blocks of the model of sustainable development of higher education institutions are:

I – Sustainable teaching – introducing the principles of sustainability in all educational programmes, mandatory inclusion of its aspects in final qualification papers of students of various majors, as well as in the teaching methods in the framework of different academic disciplines at universities;

II – Sustainable research – orientation of fundamental and applied research, research projects of universities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), identification of ways and tools to overcome obstacles to the transition of higher education institutions to functioning based on sustainability;

III – Sustainable campus – implementation of a set of measures to improve the energy efficiency of university buildings, rational use of water resources, greening the territory, introducing environmentally friendly transport within the campus, cultivating a culture of waste management, etc.;

IV – Sustainable partnership – the widest possible involvement of various groups of stakeholders in the implementing initiatives to achieve the SDGs (not only as beneficiaries of the results and effects obtained, but also as members of project teams for developing relevant projects, planning a system of measures for their implementation, monitoring the effectiveness of achieving the goals set).

The introduction of the current model of sustainable development of higher education institutions proposed in the project will allow HEIs in Ukraine to strengthen their contribution to achieving the SDGs; increase the level of competitiveness; integrate into the world research and academic community; and attract more international students. In fact, sustainable development can be defined to a certain extent as a competitive advantage of the HEI, a way to improve its recognition in society, strengthen its brand and image, and deepen social responsibility.

Sustainable university development for post-war reconstruction

The proposed model of sustainable university development can be used as the basis for post-war reconstruction. This will lead not to a simple restoration of HEIs to their pre-war level, but beyond that a transformation of their educational, research, economic and international activities in accordance with the best international practices and European values. The authors see prospects for further research in the testing of the authors’ conceptual model of sustainable university development proposed in the project.

Acknowledgement. The research is carried out within the framework of the project “Sustainable University: a model of development in the post-war period”, implemented with the support of the European Educational Research Association (EERA) and the Ukrainian Educational Research Association (UERA).

Key Messages

Higher education institutions are more than a place for obtaining knowledge and competencies; they are the centres for accumulating the country’s intellectual capital, they are the research and training hubs, and they are the agents of sustainable changes in society.
The world’s leading universities are demonstrating how to progressively transform their activities in line with sustainable principles. They are investing heavily in the implementation of the latest technologies for energy saving, water conservation, campus landscaping and waste recycling.
The main directions of sustainable development in higher education institutions are sustainable development of the campus, sustainable educational programmes and courses, sustainable research, and management.
The authors’ conceptual model of sustainable university development consists of the following blocks: sustainable teaching, sustainable research, sustainable campus, and sustainable partnership.

Dr Iryna Didenko

Associate Professor of the Department of Foreign Languages of the Faculty of Economics of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine

British Council teacher and teacher trainer in the following projects: English for Universities, English for Civil Servants, English in a New Context: Grades 5 – 9, Teaching English in Difficult Times, SWITLO: Skills and Well-being in Teacher Learning Opportunities.

Research fields: higher education, quality assurance in HEIs, sustainable development in HEIs, assessment and motivation in HEIs.

Dr Nataliia Kholiavko

Professor of the Department of Finance, Banking and Insurance of Chernihiv Polytechnic National University, Ukraine

In 2012, Nataliia Kholiavko defended her PhD thesis on the topic “Management of Scientific and Educational International Projects in the Systems of State Innovation Policy”. In 2019, Nataliia defended her doctoral dissertation on the topic “Strategy for Ensuring the Adaptability of the Higher Education System to the Information Economy Conditions”.

Since 2017, Nataliia Kholiavko is the scientific leader and/or executor of educational projects: “Integrated Model of Competitive Higher Education In Ukraine under The Quadruple Helix Concept”; “Improving the Organization of Training for Personnel with Higher Education for the Development of High-Tech Industries in Ukraine”; “Sustainable University: a Model of Development in the Post-War Period”; “Promoting Professional Education and Active Participation of Students through the Establishment of a Comprehensive System of Mentoring and Tutoring in Higher Education Institutions”, “Distance Education for Future: best EU practices in Response to the Requests of Modern Higher Education Seekers and Labor Market”.

References and Further Reading

Kholiavko, N., & Didenko, I. (2023). World Experience of University Sustainable Development. Economics & Education, 8(1), 89-104. https://doi.org/10.30525/2500-946X/2023-1-12

Kholiavko, N., & Didenko, I. (2023). Conceptual Model of Tthe University Sustainable Development. Studies in Comparative Education, (1), 40–54. https://doi.org/10.31499/2306-5532.1.2023.288421

Ukrainian Higher Education and the International Education Community in the Context of Russian Assault on Ukraine

by Dr Iryna Kushnir | NW 22 Research in Higher Education, NW 28 Sociologies of Education, UERA

On the 24th of February 2022, the world witnessed the most unexpected and unbelievable turn of events – a full-scale war in a country located in geographical Europe. Russian government and military, in cooperation with their partners in Belarus, launched a military assault on Ukraine’s infrastructure, civilians’ lives, freedoms, and sovereignty. Higher education (HE), along with other areas of life, has taken a backstage while people have been sheltering and/or fleeing to seek safety. Nevertheless, the backstage for Ukrainian wounded HE in these circumstances does not mean a full submergence by the war.

The number of damaged or destroyed educational establishments, including higher education institutions (HEIs), has been growing. Ukrainian academics and students are among those feeling the country seeking safety. Some students still hope there will be a chance to come back to their studies in Ukraine. Other members of the HE student community in Ukraine are staying, putting on a soldier’s uniform, and fighting for Ukraine. Some still manage to continue with their studies in various formats in the regions less affected by the war after the initial impact, as the Ukrainian government supports HEIs in ensuing uninterrupted payment of academics’ salaries.

The Ukrainian government and other HE stakeholders in Ukraine have been developing ways to support Ukrainian HE. For instance, on the 12th of March 2022, the Ukrainian Rectors’ Union supported the initiative of the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science: to cancel the requirement for final year upper-secondary school students to pass the final exams (State Final Attestation) as well as the External Education Assessment previously used to determine university entrance; to simplify the rules for applying for master’s degrees in 2022 and cancelling the final exam ‘Krok’ at medical universities; to give the right to HEIs to set the amount of tuition fees; to request that the government of Ukraine increases the number of students by 30% whose fees would be waived for 2022 start, particularly for prospective students from the most affected regions of Ukraine; to appeal to all universities to donate one day’s pro-rata salary of academics to supporting Ukrainian soldiers, etc.

Such measures are being actively discussed and further solutions are being negotiated at multiple meetings with various Ukrainian stakeholders and international guests. An example is the online Open Consultation on the 16th of May 2022 with presenters such as the rector from a Ukrainian university, the leader of the non-governmental organisation ‘Emotional Intelligence Institute’, the director of the Ukrainian Start-up Fund, and an Association Professor from Lithuania.

Ukrainian HEIs have received a lot of support from the international community that has been watching the impact of the war on Ukraine, including its HE sector. For example, following the bombing of Karazin University in Kharkiv in Ukraine on the 2nd of March 2022, universities from other countries (e.g., Austria, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, Slovakia, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Senegal, and Turkey) sent their letters of support to Karazin University, condemning Russia’s aggression.

In another example, the Estonian University of Tartu has generously offered mental health support to Ukrainian academics as well as support with applications for studies and academic jobs for Ukrainians. Similarly, Polish National Agency for Academic Exchanges (NAWA) has launched a program of support for Ukrainian undergraduate and postgraduate students to continue their studies in Poland free of charge between March and September 2022. Comparable conditions have been guaranteed to 51 Ukrainian researchers who are going to continue their work in Poland, supported by the Polish National Research Centre. These are a handful of examples to illustrate the measures that have been so generously developed by other countries to support the Ukrainian higher education community.

Such developments have been an expected chain reaction to other important milestones in the changing geopolitics of the international HE space. Early examples include: the announcement of the European Commission on the 3rd of March 2022 about ceasing its cooperation with Russian entities in the area of education and research; on the 7th of March, Quacquarelli Symonds announced the plan to exclude Russian and Belarus HEIs from international university rankings; subsequently, the European Association for Quality Assurance in HE (ENQA) Board issued a statement on the 8^th of March 2022 in response to the war about suspending the rights of their member and affiliate agencies in Russia. Organisations of different executive power in Ukraine and HEIs have also been actively pursuing justice in the face of the brute force of the invaders, holding consultations with multiple international organisations regarding breaking the ties with the aggressors in the area of HE. A couple of examples include appealing to the international-level coordinators of the European Education Research Association and the European Higher Education Area.

An appeal was made by the Ukrainian Education Research Association – the biggest and most influential national-level research organisation in Ukraine. It issued an open letter with a request for action to its sister organisations in the European Education Research Association (EERA) on the 4th of March 2022, following EERA’s timely statement about condemning the war. In response, on the 13th of April 2022, EERA unanimously and unequivocally denounced the invasion of Ukraine, and announced a few generous ways of supporting educational research in Ukraine, such as cancelling the need for Ukraine to pay EERA membership fees, granting free entry to all Ukrainian researchers to the conferences organised by EERA, committing to continue working to develop funding opportunities for Ukrainian researchers, and more.

In another example, the Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine addressed the international Bologna Follow-up Group which coordinates the work of the European Higher Education Area on the 1st of March 2022 with a request for them to lobby for justice and break ties with Russia. A similar letter followed from the Ukrainian Education Research Association on the 28^th of March 2022. European countries were divided in whether to break the ties with Russia in the area of research and education, including HE. This was because academic cooperation was still seen by some as a potential tool to save the lost diplomacy with Russia and override the disinformation campaign within the Russian borders. However, these optimistic voices were set aback by the statement made by Russia’s Rectors’ Union in early March, which openly supported Russia’s propaganda which masks the war under the disguise of ‘a special military operation’. In this statement, Russia’s Rectors’ Union maintains: ‘This is Russia’s decision to finally end the eight-year confrontation between Ukraine and Donbas, achieve the demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine, and thereby protect itself from growing military threats’. This disgrace on behalf of Russian rectors is disheartening.

This could not have gone unnoticed by the international Bologna Follow-up Group which met on the 11-12th of April 2022 and issued a statement about suspending the memberships of Russia and Belarus in the European Higher Education Area. This membership suspension did not mean, however, burning all the bridges with Russia and Belarus since Bologna Follow-up Group has asked in the statement everyone affiliated with the EHEA to offer support and protection to those actively condemning the war at their own risk.

This description of the examples above of the apparent shift in the international geopolitics of HE and the national-level adjustments to the war in the Ukrainian HE sector suggests the onset of long-term changes and subsequent consequences for the structure of the Ukrainian HE, the HE of the countries that are hosting representatives of the Ukrainian HE community and helping them in other ways, and consequences for international cooperation in HE more broadly. These changes are emerging as an area which calls for academics to advocate for democracy and be at the forefront of the (re)production of knowledge and truth about HE in the dynamic context of the war.

Research into this area is needed for evidence-based policy-making to support the Herculean task of the Ukrainian HE community to handle the situation and preserve its identity. It is also essential for developing further the so-called ‘protective factors’ currently in place, illustrated above, such as the generous support of other countries and external organisations, policy adjustments both in Ukraine and abroad, and technological opportunities connecting people and enabling communication and joint decisions. Pathways should also be explored for mitigating possible risks resulting from the developments, such as a potential brain drain in Ukraine, the marginalisation of those from Ukraine who do not receive support or those abroad who cannot benefit from the opportunities that have now been channelled to tackle the consequences of the war, and the difficulty of promoting democracy through HE in the world which the war has changed.

Key Messages

There has been an apparent shift in the international geopolitics of HE and the national-level adjustments to the war in the Ukrainian HE sector.

These developments suggest the onset of long-term changes and subsequent consequences for the structure of the Ukrainian HE, the HE of the countries that are hosting representatives of the Ukrainian HE community and helping them in other ways, and consequences for international cooperation in HE more broadly.

These changes are emerging as an area which calls for academics to advocate for democracy and be at the forefront of the (re)production of knowledge and truth about HE in the dynamic context of the war.

Dr Iryna Kushnir

Dr Iryna Kushnir is currently a Senior Lecturer in Education Studies at Nottingham Trent University. She previously worked at the University of Sheffield and the University of Edinburgh.

Dr Kushnir’s interdisciplinary research interests combine the following main areas: higher education, education policy, European integration, post-Soviet transition and migration. Her interdisciplinary approach has led to empirical and theoretical contributions, which reveal how education policy on the one hand and Europeanisation processes and post-Soviet transition on the other hand are interrelated and mutually shape one another.

Twitter: @IrynaKushnir7

Orcid: 0000-0003-0727-7208

University webpage: https://www.ntu.ac.uk/staff-profiles/education/iryna-kushnir

Learning by Doing Research: the Ukrainian Educational Research Association

by Professor Oksana Zabolotna | UERA

Maintaining reliable contacts, networking, and sharing ideas are some of the best ways to empower educators. And professional and research associations help educators achieve these goals.

The Ukrainian Educational Research Association (UERA) was created five years ago to boost interdisciplinary research synergy in the field of education.

Freeing Educational Research from dusty bookshelves

Historically, educational research in Ukraine was purely in the domain of Pedagogy which in Ukraine is a discipline dealing with history and theory of education, including its forms and methods.

A quick search of the National Library of Ukraine database shows that 2729 candidate dissertations (Ph.D. research papers) in Pedagogics were defended in Ukraine in 2013-2015. Not bad for a country with a population of 42.76 mln (Eurostat, 2015)! However, despite the rapidly growing quantity of dissertations, pedagogical research in Ukraine had not gained the respect or trust of the research community or the broader public. Moreover, all the findings and recommendations were overlooked and neglected as if they had been created more for the ‘dusty bookshelves’ than for any policy impact. These findings tended to benefit the researcher but rarely reached as far as the classroom. There was even a saying: ‘Pedagogics is not a science; pedagogical research is not a research’.

One of the reasons for that was that in Ukraine, a monodisciplinary approach had always dominated in educational research. Pedagogues, politicians, sociologists, economists, and school teachers did not come together to gain insights into the field that gives the life start to each person. So for the Ukrainian Educational Research Association, bringing together researchers from various disciplines to work to make research evidence-based and school practice applicable was a real challenge. Moreover, over the years, it became clear that the real challenge is not gathering people under the UERA umbrella, but in keeping the members together in a vibrant association.

UERA’s Mission

UERA’s mission deals with:

the development of educational researchers’ competence
raising the quality of educational research to influence the educational system and society
defending the rights and freedoms of its members
meeting the professional, scientific, social, and cultural interests of its members

The best way to realise this mission, as we see it, is to help the UERA members learn by doing high-quality research in a team of people united by a project.

This idea inspired us to submit the project “European Quality of Educational Research for Empowering Educators in Ukraine” for funding from Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Support to Association.

Project Proposal and Objectives

As a part of the European Educational Research Association, UERA aimed with this project to promote European Educational Research Quality Indicators (defined in the FP 7 collaborative project coordinated by Prof. Dr Ingrid Gogolin and Dr Diann Pelz-Rusch, University of Hamburg, Department of Comparative and Multicultural Education)

The project objectives were to:
· foster the dialogue between the academic world and policy-makers in the field of education
· promote innovation in research through cross-sectoral and multi-disciplinary studies, as well as networking with other institutions
· promote excellence in research in EU educational issues
· equip young professionals with knowledge of European Educational Research Quality Indicators relevant for their academic and professional lives
· foster the engagement of young academics in teaching and research on European subjects.

Project Scope and Results

The 3-year project has come to an end, and we can now say that it has proved to be of great importance for the UERA community.

We conducted three Winter Schools for emerging researchers. Each year about 30 participants were taught about the European Educational Research Quality Indicators, and have learned the methodology of conducting Teaching and Learning International Survey.

Train the Trainer courses have helped the Winter School participants to conduct workshops in their home institutions.

The project team has conducted interdisciplinary research based on the results of TALIS in the EU countries and of the study by TALIS methodology in Ukraine (coordinated by UERA in 2017) and published the book “Teachers and Learning Environment: Cross-cultural Perspective“.

We have also organised three National conferences for educational researchers involving policy-makers in the field of education. It has become a platform for discussing contemporary education issues in Ukraine as well as building collaborations between researchers nationwide. We were pleased to have the EERA President Joe O’Hara and the council member Saneeya Qureshi as key speakers at the conference in 2020.

The project supported the UERA annual council meeting which serves to the development and promotion of the association as a permanent national platform for education researchers. It has also enabled us to start the Journal of Ukrainian Educational Research Association “Educational Insights: Theory and Practice“.

All these activities supported UERA in the implementation of its statutory activities and in performing research in the field of education. The research has produced some evidence that can be used to advise policy-makers at local, regional, and national levels. The UERA has provided critical, data-driven input to the policy debate in the form of roundtable discussions, policy briefs, literature reviews, research papers, and policy recommendations.

But the most important thing is that the project has helped to create a community of more than 400 educational researchers from different fields who share the UERA’s values and academic integrity principles.

The Future

The best way to learn is to do. So, we create teams and do educational research together. We are currently engaged in two endeavours. In the project “When Science is a Women”, together with researchers from Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznan, we trace women’s careers in STEM-related subjects in Poland and Ukraine (funded by Dauphine foundation). In the project “Learning through Play at School”, we cooperate with the Australian Council for Educational Research as a national partner to investigate the impact of playful approaches to teaching and learning in five regions of Ukraine (funded by LEGO Foundation). We are continually learning from our partners, and we are always learning from each other.

Professor Oksana Zabolotna

Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor, Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University

A leading expert in comparative education with special attention to alternative education in the EU countries. She is a specialist in research methodologies and data analysis. She has 18 years of experience working as an educational researcher and research consultant for academic institutions. She has extensive experience in designing and managing projects, both academic mobility and research.

She has worked in ERASMUS MUNDUS projects (EMINENCE and EMINENCE II) as a joint-coordinator (Adam Mickiewicz University as the leading institution), and coordinator of Jean Monnet Module “Ukraine-EU: Transcultural Comparisons in Educational Research” (2016-2019). Team member of New Generation School Teacher (Joint project of British Council Ukraine and Ukrainian Ministry of Education) (2013‑2019). Joint coordinator of the project «European Quality of Educational Research for Empowering Educators in Ukraine» (2017‑2020), joint coordinator of the UERA project «At the Educational Crossroads: Evidence-based Dialogue with National Minorities in Chernivtsi and Zakarpattia Regions» (2019), regional coordinator of the project «Development of Regional EFL Professional Hubs in Ukraineі» (2019), member of the project team «Intercultural Dialogue about National Minorities in Chernivtsi Region Learning the Ukrainian Language», member of project team of All-Ukrainian Monitoring Survey of Leaching and Learning among Teachers and School Principals (with the use of TALIS (Teaching and Learning International Survey) questionnaire (2017)

She is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Studies in Comparative Education (http://sce.udpu.edu.ua/en/). As a vice-president of the Ukrainian Educational Research Association, she is engaged in capacity building and networking activities in Ukraine and abroad. She has been a research consultant for 11 research projects (PhD and Doctor’s dissertations in the field of comparative education). She has coordinated fourteen youth exchanges with the partner of Uman-Gniezno (Poland) (2009-2019). The projects involved school students and focused on intercultural communication with different emphases in particular projects.

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