PRIORITY DIRECTIONS OF UKRAINE’S INTEGRATION INTO THE EUROPEAN EDUCATIONAL AND INNOVATIVE SPACE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN WAR

Abstract

The article is devoted to the significant topic of European integration of the Ukrainian education and science system in difficult conditions of russiа planned military aggression against Ukraine. A brief retrospective analysis of the relations between Ukraine and the EU over the last three decades was made. Attention was focused on the priority of the European vector of development of the national economy, and therefore the sphere of education, science and innovation. The statistical data describing the current state of the educational infrastructure of Ukraine, which suffered significant destruction as a result of war crimes of russia, were given. The main measures taken by the team of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the EU partners to ensure the sustainability and continuity of the educational process for Ukrainian refugee students abroad were described. Several EU initiatives were outlined to support Ukrainian students, teachers and researchers in the conditions of war, in particular the ERA4Ukraine portal, MSCA4Ukraine program and others. A new project of Ukrainian Educational Hubs, which implements the concept of lifelong learning for the development of the human capital of Ukraine was demonstrated. Such educational centres offer, inter alia, the opportunity to study IT and working professions, acquire the most demanded skills of professional growth, improve the Ukrainian and English languages, receive psychological support, etc. It is emphasized that an important component of the process of integration of Ukraine into the European educational and innovative space is the digital component. Some examples of successful digitalization in the sphere of education and science are given, including such national systems as the software and hardware complex «Automated Information Complex of Educational Management», System of Automation of Inclusive Resource Centres, Ukrainian Research Information System, etc. The list of the most successful current research information systems in European countries was presented. The importance of financial assistance and support provided by European countries through diversification of funding was stressed. Proposals on the necessity of intensification of European integration processes in the sphere of education and science of Ukraine and strengthening international cooperation in the field of research and innovation were submitted.