PROSPECTS OF THE INTEGRATION OF THE UKRAINIAN HIGHER EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM INTO THE EUROPEAN EDUCATIONAL SPACE

Abstract

Introduction: In today's society, the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine in 2022 have heightened the need for global changes in higher education. The integration of national education systems into a single global educational space, with corresponding unification and renewal, has become necessary to meet the demands of the times. As a result, a significant transformation of learning approaches and the transition to various distance platforms have become essential. Even in the challenging conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian war, higher education has demonstrated its viability and readiness to adapt to contribute to progressive societal transformations, based on information, knowledge, and scientific achievements. Goal: The purpose of this study is to identify the prospects for integrating Ukraine's higher education system into the European educational space and the challenges associated with the integration process. Material: The Bologna process harmonizes higher education systems of participating countries, forming a single European market of higher education and highly qualified labour. The integration of Ukraine into the European educational space strengthens our position on the world market of educational services and solves the problem of recognition of Ukrainian diplomas. It will enable domestic universities and specialists to achieve an equal position in the European and world community. The development of education and science must meet the needs of society because high-quality education and science can solve problems related to medicine and digitalization, high-tech industries, energy-saving technologies, ensuring the rule of law, etc. Conclusions: The development of education and science must meet the needs of society because without high-quality education and science, it is impossible to solve problems related to the development of medicine and digitalization, high-tech industries, energy-saving technologies, ensuring the rule of law, etc. The activation of European integration processes in the sphere of higher education in Ukraine is possible by increasing the role of the state and university management in creating optimal conditions and incentives for international cooperation. The state should improve the financial support of higher educational institutions and promote their international cooperation. It is also important to update the list of specialities based on modern needs of the domestic and international labour market. Higher educational institutions should implement the latest models of educational process organization and learning technology, provide training for teachers and students on European integration and participation in European educational programs, and promote the practice of teaching subjects in a foreign language.