Yana Suchikova

This study aims to assess how to prevent the loss of academic potential due to the full-scale war unleashed by Russia on the territory of Ukraine. The paper establishes the relationship between the location of Ukrainian researchers and their ability to engage in scientific activity and determines the factors that decrease scientific efficiency during the war. Moreover, it identifies the influence of the scientists’ place of residence on their scientific efficiency. The sample comprises 172 lecturers from Berdyansk State Pedagogical University, Ukraine. This university was chosen because it was located in the temporarily occupied territory at the beginning of the war and later was relocated to another city. 40.8% of respondents who left the temporarily occupied territory for the Ukraine-controlled territories noted a decrease in the effectiveness of their scientific activities. Furthermore, 33.8% could not think about science at all. The most challenging situation is for those who went abroad: 55.6% show decreased scientific activity, and 27.7% note its complete absence. The most significant reasons that prevent scientific activity are financial instability, lack of access to equipment, loss of relevance of previously started research, inability to concentrate on science, poor quality or lack of Internet, and adaptation to a new residence.

This study presents the experience of managing Berdyansk State Pedagogical University in the first year of a full-scale war. The purpose is to analyze the impact of management decisions on the performance indicators of the university in the conditions of temporary occupation and relocation to a new place. The relocation of Berdyansk State Pedagogical University (BSPU) to a safer territory enabled the resumption of educational activities in May 2022, after 53 days of functioning under occupation by russian troops. University staff decreased by 13%, with 57% moving to Ukraine-controlled territories and 43% remaining in the occupied zone. In addition, the student contingent decreased by 15%. The university’s scientific activity during the war decreased for only 9% in publication activity, and funding for science in 2023 increased by 379% compared to 2021. The university continued its third mission of social cooperation by providing humanitarian and psychological assistance and documenting the testimonies of people affected by the occupation. The university community currently exists in a virtual format, with staff and students in different parts of Ukraine and the world. The university must look to the future and overcome existing problems, such as preserving academic potential and student contingent, restoring electronic systems, and continuing pedagogical education.

Acknowledgment
This study was funded by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (grants 0121U10942 and 0123U100110).
We are grateful to the Armed Forces of Ukraine for providing the security necessary to conduct this analysis. This work would not have been possible without the perseverance and courage of the Ukrainian army.
We also thank the entire team of Berdyansk State Pedagogical University. Thanks to your perseverance, resilience, and unity, the university continues to operate for the development of Ukraine.

This study examines young people’s perspectives on local government bodies’ and universities’ roles in revitalizing de-occupied territories. A mixed-methods approach was deployed to examine their roles in returning and retaining young people in these areas. An initial quantitative survey was conducted among 1,180 young individuals from Berdyansk and its district (a temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine), focusing on the prospects of their return after de-occupation. A subsequent “Youth of Berdyansk” forum assembled roughly 300 participants, including university and local government representatives, to further explore youth perceptions. Findings revealed that 52.8% of respondents envision their future in the de-occupied region. Local government bodies and universities were seen as crucial for the region’s development and restoration by 92% and 86% of respondents, respectively. Moreover, 69% recognized the potential of partnerships between these institutions to enhance the territories’ appeal. Most respondents indicated readiness to participate in creating recovery strategies (41% absolute readiness, 38% with certain guarantees), though views on youth-centric strategies were mixed (80% agreement, 13% disagreement). The study concludes that local government bodies and universities are critical in the territories’ recovery and development, necessitating explicit engagement and focusing on young people’s needs for effective outcomes.

This study examines the dynamics and effectiveness of investments in Kazakhstan’s research and development (R&D). The primary aim is to assess the efficiency of scientific research activities in Kazakhstan by analyzing the relationship between R&D investments and scientific outputs across different periods. As a methodological approach, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) calculates efficiency indicators by transforming multiple inputs into outputs. Descriptive analysis comprehensively explains trends and patterns in R&D funding, scientific publications, and patent registrations. The results reveal a substantial increase in R&D expenditure. Despite this, the share of domestic R&D expenditures from the gross domestic product (GDP) declined from 0.25% to 0.12%. The analysis also uncovered a significant surge in scientific publications, with Scopus publications increasing from 1,799 to 28,280 and Web of Science publications rising from 1,468 to 20,532 across the study period. However, a contrasting trend was observed in patent registrations, which decreased from 6,968 to 2,612, indicating potential inefficiencies in translating research into innovations. The study concludes that while Kazakhstan has demonstrated notable progress in enhancing research output, the decline in patent registrations relative to the increase in R&D investments underscores the need for strategic initiatives. These should strengthen industry-academia collaboration, enhance innovation infrastructure, and balance incentives for publications and patents, ensuring that R&D investments translate into tangible innovations and contribute effectively to the nation’s socio-economic development.

Acknowledgment
This research article has been supported bу the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan within the project «Development of а model for evaluating the effectiveness of research activities of universities in Kazakhstan based on non-parametric and semi-parametric data analysis» (IRN AP13268842). А.I.Р. thanks the lnstitute of Solid-State Physics, University of Latvia. ISSP UL as the Center of Excellence is supported through the Framework Program for European universities, Union Horizon 2020, H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017 TeamingPhase2, under Grant Agreement No. 739508, CAMART2 project.

This study examines the complexities of researching Ukraine’s occupied territories, where silence often acts as both a defense mechanism and a barrier to understanding. It addresses the causes of informational isolation, including censorship, fear of repression, and restricted access to independent sources. The paper highlights the methodological and ethical challenges researchers face, particularly in working with sensitive data and engaging with vulnerable populations. The roles of universities, citizen science, media, and NGOs are explored as crucial avenues for gathering fragmented but vital information and fostering a broader understanding of life under occupation. Emphasis is placed on integrating FAIR principles (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, Reusability) with CARE principles (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics) to ensure data are both responsibly managed and ethically used. Combining analytical rigor with reflective narratives, this study advocates for interdisciplinary approaches and strategic collaborations that transcend academic boundaries. These efforts are vital for post-war recovery, reintegration, and developing socially inclusive and sustainable strategies that address the human realities of occupation.

The war in Ukraine has been ongoing for 10 years, reshaping the lives of people, communities, institutions, and worldviews. The occupation of Crimea and significant parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in 2014 marked the first wave of shocks for Ukraine's higher education system. The massive relocation of universities from these regions signaled the beginning of a new reality. During this time, frontline regions actively demonstrated their dedication to Ukraine.
Universities transformed into volunteer hubs, collecting supplies, provisions, and protective equipment for the front. Students, faculty, and other staff became volunteers and joined the war effort.

Type of the article: Research Article

With the outbreak of war in eastern Ukraine in 2014 and especially after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, many Ukrainian universities underwent forced relocation. This phenomenon remains underexplored in both national and international academic literature, despite its profound consequences for Ukraine’s higher education system. This study aims to identify the spatial-temporal trajectories of relocated universities in Ukraine, to typologize models of adaptation, and to formulate lessons based on empirical analysis. Methodologically, the study relies on mapping, monitoring data on the institutional capacity development of relocated Ukrainian universities, case studies, and an analysis of legislation and regulatory documents. The study examines relocation trajectories of 35 higher education institutions, drawing on multiple data sources collected between 2014 and 2025. Two waves of relocation were recorded: the first (2014–2016) involved 14 universities, and the second (2022–2024) included 21. Most relocated universities are state-owned (24 out of 35), although the share of private institutions increased during the second wave. The study provides the first spatial-temporal mapping of relocated Ukrainian HEIs, reconstructing their movement across regions and over time and identifying recurrent adaptation patterns. The study concludes that relocation is not only a physical transfer but also an institutional transformation. It requires, even prior to the actual move, the development of an indicative action plan, followed by a rethinking of staffing models, the establishment of distance learning as a dominant mode, the provision of state and local support policies, a targeted focus on international cooperation, regulatory recognition of non-standard network models, and differentiated financing instruments.

Acknowledgments
The authors sincerely thank all those who supported this research within the framework of the project “Institutional capacity building of relocated universities: monitoring study and recommendations for improvement in national scale”. The authors would like to thank Tetiana Zaporozhets, Maksym Folomieiev, Viktoriia Rudyk, Serhii Melnyk, Dariia Ivashchenko, and Olena Tupakhina for their valuable support in data collection, expert evaluation, and insightful discussions. We are also grateful for the partial support of the research conducted by Yana Sychikova and Ihor Lyman, provided in the framework of a state budget project “Ukrainian universities in new realities: the impact of the war and mechanisms for preserving the scientific and personnel potential of training specialists in high-tech industries”. Finally, the authors would like to express their deepest gratitude to all Ukrainian defenders, whose courage and resilience made it possible to complete and publish this work.

Type of the article: Research Article

The study aims to analyze institutional policies governing the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in Ukrainian universities and assess their regulatory maturity. Drawing on the authors’ Taxonomy of Institutional AI Policy Maturity (AI-PMT), which comprises twelve analytical dimensions, the study examines a sample of 23 publicly available institutional policy documents adopted between 2023 and 2025. The analysis combines qualitative and quantitative approaches. A directed content analysis was used to assign ordinal scores (0-2) across twelve dimensions, enabling the construction of a cumulative maturity index (0-24) for each institution. The results reveal an uneven distribution of regulatory development, with more elaborated provisions related to teaching and learning, and comparatively less developed components addressing research practices, data governance, and infrastructural support. To synthesize these patterns, an analytical typology of institutions was developed based on cumulative maturity scores, identifying three broad groups that differ in the degree of regulatory completeness and procedural specification. In parallel, thematic analysis of policy content identified recurring patterns, including the normalization of AI use in education, the emphasis on transparency and disclosure, the prevalence of precautionary approaches to data and confidentiality, and several contested provisions. Comparison with international policy frameworks suggests that Ukrainian universities broadly align with global normative trends in principles, but exhibit limited operationalization of governance mechanisms and research-related provisions. The findings highlight structural imbalances in institutional AI governance and underscore the need to further develop research-oriented regulation, institutional support mechanisms, and coordinated policy approaches.

Acknowledgment
We thank the Armed Forces of Ukraine for providing security for this work, which was made possible only thanks to the resilience and bravery of the Ukrainian Army.

Type of the article: Reflexive Preface

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has challenged the conventional understanding of the university as an institution inherently tied to a fixed territory and campus infrastructure. This paper adopts a collaborative autoethnographic approach to reflect on how universities transform amid war, forced displacement, and prolonged instability. Drawing on the experience of Berdyansk State Pedagogical University after the occupation of its home city, as well as on reflections developed through Ukrainian–Australian academic dialogue during a series of public lectures and scholarly discussions in Australia in 2026, we examine the reconfiguration of academic life beyond territorial constraints. Rather than presenting results in the form of discrete empirical findings, the study develops a reflexive analytical account of how institutional continuity is sustained through mobility, distributed networks, and relational forms of coordination. The concept of the “university without walls” is advanced as a way of interpreting these transformations not merely as a temporary response to crisis, but as an emergent model of a post-territorial university. The analysis suggests that, under conditions of geopolitical disruption, the defining features of the university shift from physical infrastructure to relational capacities: trust, collaboration, and the ability to maintain academic community across dispersed contexts. By situating lived experience within a broader analytical framework, the paper contributes to ongoing debates on the future of higher education in a world marked by instability, inequality, and global interdependence.

Acknowledgments
Yana Sychikova and Igor Lyman express their sincere gratitude to their co-author Tim Winkler and the Future Campus team for organizing the symposium and supporting the research visit to Australia. The authors also thank Stephen Matchett for his support during their stay in Sydney and for his professional synthesis of the symposium discussions.
The authors are grateful to Online Education Services (OES) for their sponsorship and for organizing a warm and welcoming meeting, as well as to the organizers of the Universities Australia Solutions Summit 2026 for covering the costs associated with attending the event.
Special thanks are extended to Professor Maree Meredith, a proud representative of the Bidjara people, for organizing the cultural program and for her personal support during the visit to Australia.
The authors also sincerely thank the University of Melbourne and the Faculty of Education, as well as the Dean of the Faculty, Professor Marek Tesar, for organizing the public lecture, the open academic dialogue, and the formal dinner that became an important part of this scholarly exchange.
Finally, the authors express their deepest gratitude to the defenders of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, whose courage and sacrifice make it possible to continue academic work even in times of war.