Issue #2 (spec. issue) (Volume 21 2023)

The full-scale aggression unleashed by the russian invaders against Ukraine on February 24, 2022, became an unexpected horror that struck the life of this European country. The war radically changed absolutely everything and for everyone. It has crippled the fate of millions of innocent people, claimed the lives of tens of thousands.
The crazy decisions of the russian leadership and the influx of its hordes have turned a huge number of Ukrainian cities and towns into hell. Destroyed or damaged urban infrastructure, homes and businesses, hospitals and schools.
These monsters did not spare the universities either.

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 aims to investigate the transformation of organizational culture during year of the of the active phase of the russian-Ukrainian war that contributes to the survival of Bogdan Khmelnitsky Melitopol State Pedagogical University as an organization and is a factor in the transition from the survival to the phase of successful and dynamic development. Due to the war and the occupation of certain territories of Ukraine, the university was forced to relocate to the free territory in the city of Zaporizhzhia. It lost all its buildings and other material resources; around 25% of students, 25% of faculty, and 25% of funding. Despite the extreme conditions of the university’s functioning and the stress of teachers and students under constant attacks on civilians by the occupiers, the university has resumed its educational process and research. A formal sign of the success of the scientific work is the growth of the university’s position in the Consolidated ranking of Ukrainian universities. In the educational sphere, interdisciplinary academic programs have become a significant trend during the war. Innovations in management ensured that the university quickly adapted to the extreme environment. These innovations were primarily related to transitioning from a hierarchy to an adhocratic organizational culture. The main areas of changes in the university management were: renewal of the personal composition of the university management, reorganization of structural units, updating of the system of university regulations, and complete transition to electronic document management.

The ongoing war in Ukraine has posed unprecedented challenges to traditional education systems, disrupting learning and affecting education quality. As universities adapt to these challenges, the growing reliance on distance learning strategies becomes crucial for maintaining academic management processes. This paper investigates the role of distance learning tools in addressing wartime challenges and enhancing university academic management.
Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study combines quantitative data analysis of student performance with qualitative insights from educators and students affected by the war. The results prove the effectiveness of distance learning tools in maintaining education quality during the war while also addressing the unique challenges faced by universities in conflict areas.
The findings reveal that distance learning tools serve as a valuable resource for universities to mitigate the negative impact of the war on education quality as part of academic management processes. However, specific challenges such as developing digital competencies, ensuring access to technology, and designing effective distance learning materials must be addressed in war-related disruptions.
The quantitative analysis of student performance data highlights the potential of innovative distance learning tools in maintaining education quality during crises and wars. However, the efficiency of their use during the large-scale war in Ukraine has shown a decline and thus necessitates further research. Nevertheless, these insights provide valuable guidance for educators and academician managers to support students and educators during challenging times.

During the full-scale war, educational institutions of Ukraine were at the epicenter of hostilities and suffered from attacks and bombing by the russian army: many schools, colleges, and universities were destroyed or damaged, and tens of thousands of students and teachers became refugees or forced displaced persons, lost their property and housing. Chernihiv Polytechnic National University (CPNU), located in the northern border region of Ukraine, was also significantly affected.
This study aims to systematize the features of the functioning of CPNU under siege, bombing, and shelling. An analytical method was used to assess statistical reports available in open access on the official websites of CPNU and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. The paper identified that during active hostilities, 25% of the university’s infrastructure was destroyed by shelling and bombing; 37 teachers and researchers emigrated; about 4% of students stopped their studies. Currently, CPNU suffers from loss of human capital, physical destruction of educational and research infrastructures, lack of R&D financing, increased cyber security threats, and violation of the educational process. In response to military challenges, the university management rethinks and forms a new vision for further development based on sustainability principles to recover educational and research infrastructures, promote human capital development, and modernize the learning environment. The new vision of CPNU integrates “7R” principle – seven key pillars covering different directions of its operation (teaching, research, innovation, international activity, etc.).

This study aims to generalize and systematize the experience of Kherson State University (Ukraine) in times of war under temporary russian occupation of Kherson city and the university displacement. All these factors have designed new practices of management and strategic development. The key issues of stability and resistance to the challenges of war of the university’s community are rethinking the university strategy and the solidarity of national and international academic institutions, local city and state government, civil society, and businesses. The study shows that the primary mechanism of university functioning in occupation and displacement is total digitization of all processes and enhanced social communication of the university community (e.g., transition from partial to total digital document turnover and active use of social media and internet communications in the strategy of crisis communication and university’s community support). Speed-up of digital transformations and distance educational technologies of teaching in synchronous and asynchronous formats (in conditions of unstable internet connection and energy supply) ensured the high quality of the educational process.
The personal values of university students and staff (resistance to the invaders (occupants), rejection of collaboration, and volunteer activities) and results of the enrolment campaign in 2022 (1037 entrants) demonstrate the benefits of perennial university activities in the context of national identity development. These also highlight perspectives of the university to form the human capital of Kherson region in general and intellectual elite in particular.

Acknowledgment
We wish to express our gratitude to the European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities (ALLEA), the Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, and the University of Kent for the opportunity to successfully implement the strategy of the university.

The development of modern technologies and innovations provides opportunities for higher education institutions (HEIs) and directly for teachers and students to voluntarily use tools for distance and mixed learning. However, remote access in a pandemic or a state of war is necessity and has no alternatives.
The purpose of this study is to determine the role of the JetIQ electronic ecosystem for Vinnytsia National Technical University (VNTU) in wartime conditions. As in all HEI of Ukraine, the educational process at VNTU changed significantly during the year of military aggression. The need for students and teachers to hide in bomb shelters during air raids, frequent and, most importantly, unexpected interruptions of the educational process, and significant complications of access to laboratory equipment negatively affect the psychological state of all participants in educational activities. In these conditions, the JetIQ electronic ecosystem brought substantial benefits and became the primary tool for the management of the educational activities at VNTU. Reliable technological support also improved the psychological confidence of students and teachers. A comparison of the interim indicators of the 2022/2023 academic year with the trends of the three previous academic years in terms of quantitative indicators of educational resources and actions of all groups of JetIQ users showed positive trends. This testifies to its stability in the conditions of martial law.

The purpose of the study is to identify the peculiarities of the activities of a higher education institution during a full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the russian army. On the example of the Higher Educational Establishment of Ukoopspilka “Poltava University of Economics and Trade”, the paper considers ways to search for and identify internal capabilities of the educational institution that would allow compensation and overcoming the negative impact of the aggressive external environment on the educational process, creating synergy between teaching, student education and youth involvement in volunteer activities. The paper describes the existing practices of partnership support in terms of interest in the learning process through the continuation of international cooperation, the application of analytical approaches to solving problems in matters of financial instability, the continuation of scientific and stabilization of the educational component, and the identification of existing experience in educational work at the university through involving young people in various career guidance and student activities. An important issue in the paper is the question of the volunteer activities of the university, which has implemented several projects to support war refugees and internally displaced persons from the temporarily occupied territories and the zone of active hostilities. Achieving such goals is possible only through a deep understanding of and adherence to the mission of Poltava University of Economics and Trade, which is so deeply perceived by the entire team of its employees.

In the conditions of the war of russia against Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022, Ukrainian universities are playing roles that were not characteristic of them in peacetime. To the greatest extent, this concerns the university’s third mission, serving society and responding to its urgent needs. The purpose of this study is to identify and characterize new meaningful directions for implementing the third mission of the university in the conditions of war and post-war reconstruction. The study uses quantitative and qualitative bibliometric analysis combining various methods, in particular, quantitative and dynamic analysis of publications and citations, keyword analysis, cluster analysis and content analysis of publications.
The study’s results proved the lack of conceptual studies devoted to the role of universities in the war and post-war reconstruction. The main clusters of implementing the third mission of universities and the existing and potential areas of activity of Ukraine’s universities during the war and post-war reconstruction that belong to them were determined. In conclusion, it is substantiated that a new dimension of the mission of universities is being formed, which is at the stage of its formation and needs time for the necessary transformations. Depending on the consequences of the war in Ukraine, it can be a separate cluster of the third mission of universities, and the selection of a new fourth mission of universities, dedicated to peacebuilding and the role of the university during the war and post-war recovery.

Acknowledgment
Yuriy Petrushenko gratefully acknowledges support from the Kirkland Research Program. The research
was supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (No. 0121U109553).

Educational activities of higher education institutions located in the war zone are undergoing significant changes, particularly in Ukraine. This study aims to generalize the experience of the National University “Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic,” Ukraine, in ensuring the continuity of the digital services of the educational process and generate recommendations for countering threats arising under the influence of active hostilities.
49% of students are residents of Zaporizhzhia, and 40% live in the occupied territories. Most students were forced to move to safer locations or even abroad. Still, some of them remained in the occupation (due to the strict regime by the occupiers, they could not move to the territory controlled by Ukraine). About 5% of students temporarily or entirely stopped their studies. The city of Zaporizhzhia is under constant fire from the occupying forces, so academic staff is dynamically relocating to safer regions. The university constantly responds to the situation at the front and implements measures to continue educational activities in these conditions, relying on digital services. To minimize the impact of war threats and ensure the continuity of digital services, the university administration guarantees protection against power outages of all elements of the digital infrastructure, providing backup Internet communication channels and creating a distributed information base. National University “Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic” continues to further expand its information services library, improving the quality of the educational process in war conditions.

In the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine, agricultural universities will provide the state with specialists capable of implementing the seamless integration of “green” benchmarks. The full-scale war has not only threatened the sustainable operation of all spheres of higher education institutions but also forced them to look for new ways of adaptation and development. This study aims to assess the readiness of higher education institutions in the agrarian sector to meet the personnel needs of the state in the medium-term of post-war reconstruction. The paper used a group of parameters with specific indicators: education (change in the number of graduates at the Bachelor’s and Master’s educational levels, the ratio of publicly-funded and fee-based education seekers, changes in the average entrance score), science (change in the number of articles published in Scopus and the corresponding h-index, the number of Erasmus grants received, the amount of budget funding for science), recognition (academic ranking of higher education institutions by the Webometrics and Top-200 Ratings), and financing (estimated amounts of funding from the general and special fund, and their ratio). The study offers a unique approach to calculating the Integrated Sustainability Index of higher education institutions. This index clearly illustrates how efficiently 15 agricultural higher education institutions have adapted to wartime transformations. For example, Sumy National Agrarian University and Lviv National Natural Resource Management University have this index exceeding 30%. The study draws attention to the problematic areas of university activity during the war and suggests extending the valuable experience of Sumy National Agrarian University.

Acknowledgment
The authors are grateful to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who are liberating the territory of Ukraine at the cost of their own lives, as well as to Ukrainian farmers, who, despite the war, are doing everything possible to prevent a food crisis in the world.
This study is co-funded by the European Union through the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) within the project “Europeanisation of Doctoral Studies in Line with the Innovative Doctoral Training Principles in Europe: Towards a Common Future” 101083493 - EDOCS - ERASMUS-JMO-2022-HEI-TCH-RSCH https://edocs.snau.edu.ua/en/

A new wave of relocation of universities from the war zone has resulted from the negative consequences of the hostilities and the temporary occupation of the territories of Ukraine by the russian federation. The challenges of today have a multidirectional impact, especially on universities that have been displaced twice. The relocation of each university is a unique experience, and academic management is the object of modern scientific research. Therefore, the paper aims to highlight the experience of gaining resilience and developing the sustainability of Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University (hereinafter V. Dahl EUNU) during the evacuation in 2014 from the city of Luhansk to the town of Severodonetsk, and in 2022 along the entire movement path to the city of Kyiv. It is determined that the main resources are human and social capital, which allow not only counteractong the challenges of martial law, but also ensuring the restoration of the system and its further development. The introduction of digitalization of the educational process, and work on the development of values and reputation are identified as the main tools for survival in dangerous war conditions. According to the results of the study, it was proved that in the conditions of martial law, the university acquired new qualities and developed the capacity for resilience. The ability of V. Dahl EUNU to use its strengths to overcome dangers and obstacles and to choose strong strategies focused on recovery and development was considered.

Over the last decade, Ukrainian higher educational institutions have faced extraordinary and even dire circumstances three times: russia’s attack on Ukraine in Donbas and occupation of Crimea (2014); a total lockdown caused by a pandemic due to the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) (2020); russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine (2022). Each time, Ukrainian higher educational institutions had to reformat the educational process to meet the challenges of the time.
Lviv region began accepting internally displaced people from Donbas and Crimea in 2014. In this regard, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv (Lviv University) has established itself as one of the regional leaders. The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic required the immediate organization of distance learning and, therefore, the improvement of information and technical support. russian crimes against humanity in 2022 caused an enormous wave of internal displacement of citizens. Employees and students of Lviv University have been helping internally displaced people with housing, food, and basic necessities since the beginning of the full-scale war; they have also assisted refugees at checkpoints along the Ukrainian-Polish border. Over a hundred University students and employees serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Those who remain at home work hard to bring victory over the enemy closer. They are volunteering, fundraising, arranging humanitarian aid, cooperating with international charitable organizations, etc.
Under difficult wartime conditions, the University’s academic community continues to fulfil its primary mission: to provide modern, high-quality education.

One year of russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine to seize its territory and destroy the Ukrainian people as a nation, its language, culture, scientific achievements, and educational traditions have demonstrated the incredible adaptability of universities and their libraries. This paper aims to analyze the administrative aspect of the urgent adaptation of library teams of Ukrainian higher education institutions to martial law conditions in the example of the Scientific Library of the Ukrainian State University of Science and Technologies (USUST). The paper considers the experience of survival, resilience, and adaptation of the USUST library to the war, which can be extrapolated to other libraries of Ukrainian higher education institutions. In addition, the study comparatively analyzes quantitative indicators of five university libraries as of January 1, 2022, and January 1, 2023. The main vectors of library activity are distance, openness, unification, and improvement of the single information space. The primary motivating factors for librarians’ resilience and adaptation to wartime working conditions are belief in the Armed Forces and the victory of Ukraine. The study emphasizes the importance of university libraries’ support of open educational resources as one of the methods of overcoming the Ukrainian linguocide. Library directors in wartime, with predominantly female staff, note the impact of psychological factors on their professional activities. Despite the threatening trends, libraries continue to support educational and scientific processes in their universities, launching new directions of activity.

Due to russian military aggression in Ukraine, two waves of relocating educational institutions from occupied and dangerous territories have occurred over the past nine years (in 2014 and 2022). In the first place, relocation affected those universities that were based in industrial regions before the war and trained professional personnel for large industrial enterprises. The speed of the country’s post-war recovery will depend on the availability of professional specialists able to restore industrial enterprises’ functioning. Therefore, it is necessary to highlight the changes in the human capital of displaced universities due to relocation. The aim of this study is to assess the losses of human capital the displaced universities suffered due to russian military aggression. Using the example of Donetsk National Technical University, which has been relocated twice, the study illustrates the stages in which the organizational structure of one of the university’s divisions changed and the number of teachers decreased in 2014–2023. The study describes the key features of the first and second displacement waves and their implementation specifics. The survey of the resigned teachers demonstrated the losses of human capital experienced by the university over nine years. The benefits for those Ukrainian universities which have hired displaced teachers are exemplified. The results of this study indicate that the experience of displaced universities should be scrutinized at the ministerial level and used to develop strategies for restoring the human capital of the displaced universities and further accumulating human capital in Ukrainian higher education.

The full-scale russia-Ukraine war, which started in February 2022, created severe challenges in every domain throughout the country, including that of higher education. Therefore, educational authorities’ response to this crisis has become interesting and significant. The goal of this study is to highlight the experience of Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University, exemplifying potential reactions to this new situation, analyzing the university’s overall structure and functioning, in particular, its continuing dedication to its long-term academic role while implementing crisis management measures during the martial law.
The asynchronous teaching mode and unique linkages with LUVNU students and teachers residing outside the country illustrated the university’s commitment to its educational role. At the same time, staff and students of the university demonstrated their capacity to take on a totally new role, seeking ways to support the military and various population groups suffering from the full-scale invasion. This flexibility was reflected in a wide range of specific projects undertaken by different entities within the university, demonstrating their ability to devise initiatives that corresponded in some manner to their original field of study in the university, whether it be for the manufacture of specialized items or the opening up of personal support structures.

Ensuring a high quality of educational and scientific activity is one of the main tasks for university management, which becomes especially significant in wartime conditions. The results of scientific research and mechanisms worked out in practice to ensure the effectiveness of the university functioning and anti-crisis management techniques in wartime may become impractical, as they are usually considered relatively stable and even predictable in the short term by the external environment and regular internal communications. Therefore, the study aims to systematize managerial decisions and measures and conduct a SWOT analysis of the university’s functioning in war conditions when external risks are at their maximum level.
Based on the accumulated experience of Sumy State University management, which continued its activities even when russian invaders surrounded the city, it demonstrated effective work in 2022 and 2023. It became possible thanks to the pre-war management system, coordination of the work of all structural divisions, and constant information of all participants in the educational process through an internal information system and electronic document management. The critical threats to the university’s functioning in the future have been determined based on the conducted SWOT analysis.
The developed methods and mechanisms of university management could not be fully applied in war conditions; the management’s ability to make non-standard decisions is essential; the state of the university depends on the distance to the war zone, as well as the institutional conditions developed in the pre-war period; the university’s presence in international rankings expanded cooperation with international partners and provided many significant advantages in supporting the university’s educational and scientific activities; the prerequisites for the university’s financial stability in wartime are careful analysis and strict control of the economic situation.

The devastating russian military invasion of Ukraine forced millions of people to flee their homes. Among those affected are highly skilled scientists, resulting in a significant loss of human capital for Ukraine, which is crucial for the post-war reconstruction. To address this pressing issue, the Young Scientists Council (YSC) at the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine launched the “Ukrainian Science Diaspora” initiative to mitigate the brain drain.
The purpose of this study is to outline the first steps taken by this initiative. Moreover, it demonstrates lessons learned from the pilot meetings. The essence of the initiative is to keep links with scholars who left Ukraine and join the efforts of different migration waves of Ukrainian scientists for the further rebuilding of Ukraine. The YSC and other institutions prepared the analytical report on the needs and plans of Ukrainian scientists abroad. In addition, the paper highlights various events and activities organized by the YSC and other self-formed associations of Ukrainian scientists worldwide, working together to establish networks that could take the form of public organizations or be part of local unions of scientists.
At present, efforts are focused on identifying Ukrainian scientists interested in joining this initiative, with the ultimate goal of identifying areas where Ukrainian scientists can participate in post-war reconstruction. The success of this initiative will undoubtedly play a crucial role in ensuring that Ukraine can retain its valuable human capital and continue to thrive in the face of adversity.

Acknowledgment
This study is co-funded by the European Union through the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) within the project “Europeanisation of Doctoral Studies in Line with the Innovative Doctoral Training Principles in Europe: Towards a Common Future” 101083493 – EDOCS – ERASMUS-JMO-2022-HEI-TCH-RSCH https://edocs.snau.edu.ua/en/

This study aims to highlight the resilience and innovation of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (KNU) in the face of internal and external risks, particularly during times of war and political instability. KNU’s commitment to advancing knowledge is evident through its successful maintenance of educational, scientific, and economic activities and its proactive measures to counter propaganda and misinformation. The university has prioritized the psychological and emotional support of its students and staff and has minimized student losses by implementing flexible forms of education and individual counseling. KNU has also strengthened its international partnerships and grant initiatives. Despite significant losses, the university has maintained its material and technical infrastructure by leveraging various funding sources and developing a strategic trajectory toward an entrepreneurial model. KNU’s strategic objectives include transforming the university into the core of innovation clusters, establishing a risk management system, and monitoring the labor market. KNU’s experience could provide valuable insights for other universities facing similar challenges, emphasizing the importance of effective risk management, crisis communication, and psychological support for the academic community.

Acknowledgment
The authors express their gratitude to the Armed Forces of Ukraine for their bravery and resilience in the fight for the country’s freedom and independence against new threats in the 21st century. They also thank the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv staff for their unwavering commitment, selflessness, and psychological fortitude, enabling maintaining and expanding the university’s resources despite challenging circumstances. Overall, the authors are optimistic about the future and confident in the prospect of victory.