II International Scientific-Practical Conference «Personality, University, Society: Interaction under Conditions of Change» (12.04.2023, online)
On 12 April 2023 the II International Scientific-Practical Conference «Personality, University, Society: Interaction under Conditions of Change» on issues and challenges faced by Ukrainian universities under a novel reality triggered by the military aggression and objectives of post-war revival was organised. The Conference was initiated by the consortium of partners participating in the EU project «Reinventing displaced universities: enhancing competitiveness, serving communities» (REDU), namely: Institute of Higher Education of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine, Mariupol State University, Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University, British Council Ukraine. The partners for this Conference also are National Erasmus+ Office Ukraine and Advance HE, United Kingdom.
More than 190 representatives of higher education institutions, scientific institutions, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine took part in the event and discussed the problems and challenges that are relevant for Ukrainian universities in the conditions of new realities caused by military aggression and the tasks of post-war reconstruction of the country.
Members of the National Team of Experts on Higher Education Reform of the EU Erasmus+ Program (HERE team) also joined the event as panelists:
- BAKHRUSHYN Volodymyr, HERE Chairman; Professor of the Department of System Analysis and Calculative Mathematics, Chair of the Academic Council, National University “Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic”; Member of the Scientific and Methodical Council (Chairman of the Higher Education Unit)
- MRUGA Maryna, State Expert, Directorate for Vocational Pre-Tertiary and Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine
- SHAROV Oleg, Director General, Directorate for Vocational Pre-Tertiary and Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine
- LUGOVYY Volodymyr, First Vice-President, National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine
- RASHKEVYCH Yuriy, Member of the National Qualifications Agency; Professor of the Lviv Polytechnic National University; Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine (2018-2019)
- WYNNYCKYJ Mychailo, Deputy Minister for Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine
- ZAKHARCHENKO Vadym, Vice-Rector, National University “Odessa Maritime Academy”
The special emphasis of the Conference was the operation and development of displaced universities under conditions of strategic and resource uncertainty.
Conference themes:
• Civic University: development and strategizing under conditions of change
• Higher education in Ukraine: changes triggered by war
• Implementation of changes in the UK universities (good practices analysis)
• Peculiarities of university governance: Experience of the UK and Ukraine
The moderators of the event were Svitlana KALASJNIKOVA, Advisor to the Directorate of the Institute of Higher Education of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, HERE team, and Zhanna TALANOVA, Analytical Manager of the National Erasmus+ office in Ukraine.
Leigh GIBSON, Director of the British Council in Ukraine, addressed the participants with a welcoming speech, expressing support for Ukrainian universities, in particular through the joint implementation of the REDU project for the development of displaced higher education institutions of Ukraine.
In the first session, Svitlana KALASHNIKOVA, REDU project manager, gave a presentation “Civic university: development and strategizing in the face of change”, presenting the REDU idea, the consortium and partners, global challenges and trends in cooperation between universities and the community, as well as support and strategizing for development displaced ZVO and their communities due to the war in Ukraine.
Liliya HRYNEVYCH, First Vice-Rector of the Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine (2017-2019), and Yevhen NIKOLAEV, Director of the Analytical Center “EducationAnalytics” of the University, presented the Analytical Report “Higher Education in Ukraine: Changes due to the War”, highlighting the problems and challenges faced by the higher education system of Ukraine due to the consequences of the pandemic and the war; experiences and decisions of authorities and universities in response to these challenges; the state of the Ukrainian higher education system during martial law, its priority and prospective needs.
Prof. Malcolm TODD, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Leeds Trinity University, and Prof. Catherine O’CONNOR, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education and Experience of Leeds Trinity University, gave a presentation on “Strategic change – a case study”. The speakers presented the experience of implementing the strategy of Leeds Trinity University, business models of management and cultural changes, development of the “Building our case” model with new approaches to project management, communication and value framework.
Alex MORTBY, Vice Principal, Curriculum and Higher Education, Bedford College Group, covered “Building a stronger future: exploring the benefits, processes and challenges of mergers”, highlighting the context and impetus behind The Bedford College Group merger; ways of merging and managing change and cultural integration; key challenges and ways to solve them.
At the end of the first session, Svitlana SHYTIKOVA, Coordinator of the National Erasmus+ office in Ukraine, presented the opportunities and current directions of cooperation within the EU Erasmus+ Program for 2021-2027, in particular with the aim of implementing joint projects regarding the cooperation of universities and communities.
In the second session, Aaron PORTER, Associate Director of the National Advance HE Agency, presented “An Overview of UK Higher Education Governance and the Conditions for Effective Boards”. The speaker focused on what governance systems in higher education might look like, levers for progress, and good governance practices in universities.
Mykhailo Wynnyckyj, Vice-President for Scientific and Educational Studies, National University “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy”, HER team, held a presentation “Specifics of university governance: the experience of Ukraine”, focusing on the problem of new meanings and practices in higher education during the war in Ukraine and post-war reconstruction, in particular, the expansion of higher education institutions’ autonomy and institutional diversity.
During the event, the participants joined discussion of the key issues of the Conference, receiving comprehensive answers from speakers, panelists, partners of the REDU project consortium and members of the Erasmus+ HERE team.