Academic solidarity and digitization: Management of a displaced university

Abstract

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. AcknowledgmentWe 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.