МОДЕРНІЗАЦІЯ МЕРЕЖІ ЗАКЛАДІВ ВИЩОЇ ОСВІТИ УКРАЇНИ: ДЕЯКІ ЄВРОІНТЕГРАЦІЙНІ АСПЕКТИ

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyze the networks of higher education institutions (HEIs) in European countries based on their size, type, legal status, and levels of education, according to the data of the European Tertiary Education Register (ETER). This analysis is relevant in the context of discussions about the strategy for the development of higher education in Ukraine, including the restoration, optimization of the network, and consolidation of HEIs. The conducted analysis shows that over the past 32 years, the average size of Ukrainian HEIs has significantly decreased and now is smaller than their EU counterparts. This could have a substantial impact on budget allocation for higher education and the quality of education provided. Additionally, the findings reveal the wide diversity of European HEIs based on the studied features. The network includes institutions with tens and hundreds of thousands of students, with a significant proportion offering education at levels 5–8 or 6–8, as per ISCED–2011. However, some institutions operate only at one level. There is no clear influence of the type of HEI or its legal status on the size or level of education provided. In general, differences between institutions are typically statistical rather than deterministic. However, some European countries have legal restrictions regarding require­ments for different types of institutions. A relevant issue for Ukraine is the transition to European classifiers, which will definitely have to be done in order to correctly display the data of Ukrainian HEIs and the higher education system in ETER and European statistical databases, in particular in Eurostat. This is also necessary for a more reasonable solution of internal Ukrainian problems of the development of higher education. In particular, such as the positioning of the 5th level of education, the differentiation of legislative requirements and accreditation of educational programs according to the types of HEIs and programs, etc.