Ukrainian Universities at a Time of Global Crisis and New Opportunities: How to Secure and Develop Human Capital

Abstract

Crisis periods have always been accelerators for new phases of country development. The Russian war in Ukraine and the granting of European Union candidate status are opening a space for new cooperation with European countries, reforms and opportunities for Ukraine in the education sector (exchange programs, alignment with European standards, quality improvement). At the beginning of the new academic year of 2022, two major issues are present: how to maintain the learning process during war and attacks, and how to improve the educational system for EU accession and strengthen the human capital of the state. In this study, the experience of Balkan countries (with special focus on the Yugoslav successor states) in the postwar period since the 1990s is investigated and some practical examples of innovative reforms are proposed. Major topics include academic freedom, brain-drain prevention and the involvement of EU investments and initiatives. Besides this, the pandemic benefitted society with tools of online learning, which became one of the measures to secure students’ education in the current conflict and let them continue studies as much as possible. Ukraine has the potential to improve in all spheres, although at the same time human capital is endangered because of the war.