On 14th December 2023 the National Erasmus+ Office & HERE team – Ukraine in cooperation with Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and Institute of Higher Education of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine organised cluster event on digitization and quality assurance in higher education.– XII International conference «European Integration of Ukraine’ Higher Education in the context of Bologna Process. Higher Education Digitalisation and Quality Assurance».

The cluster event was organized with support of the European Education and Culture Executive Agency, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance, the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine.

The conference aimed to determine the state of implementation of the Bologna Process and digital transformations in higher education of Ukraine in the conditions of martial law and large-scale war, the processes of harmonization of Ukrainian legislation in the field of quality assurance in higher education, improving the quality of higher education based on the synergy of ranking and accreditation, the influence of international expert support of Ukrainian HEIs regarding the implementation of the principles and goals of the Bologna process, prospects for the development of higher education, as well as to prepare recommendations.

Around 200 participants joined the webinar via the Zoom representing public and private Higher Education Institutions, VET institutions, Research Institutions of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine and the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance, Ukrainian Student Association, Higher Education Reform Experts (HEREs), DAAD representatives and European experts of the Erasmus+ Bologna Hub Peer Support II project.

AGENDA of the event (ukr.) – upload.

AGENDA of the event (eng.) – upload.

SPEAKERS’ PRESENTATIONS – via the link.

• Volodymyr BUGROV, Rector, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv opened the event. Speaker noting Ukraine’s achievements in the implementation of the Bologna process, which allow us to move confidently along the path of European integration.
• Mychailo WYNNYCKYJ, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, HERE, emphasized the importance of the annual meeting of educators to discuss problems and prospects for the development of domestic higher education in the context of the Bologna process and integration into the EHEA, exchange of experience of Ukrainian and European experts.
• Svein HULLSTEIN, Policy Officer, Higher Education Policy, Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC), emphasised the constant support of the European Commission for the development of Ukraine in the fields of youth, education, sports, expanding the opportunities for participation of Ukrainian HEIs and other organizations in projects in various areas within the EU Erasmus+ Programme.
• David AKRAMI FLORES, Head of Section Erasmus+ Key Action 3: Policy Support at the DAAD, noted the importance of international cooperation within Erasmus+ projects aimed at supporting the reform of institutional policies, and emphasized the contribution of European experts to the development of the internationalization of Ukrainian universities participating in the Bologna Hub project Peer Support II, where DAAD is the leader.
• Svitlana SHYTIKOVA, Coordinator, National Erasmus+ Office – Ukraine, announced the opening of the 2024 calls of the EU Erasmus+ Programme and the organisation of Information Days to present the opportunities for Ukraine and the innovations of these calls.
• Volodymyr LUGOVYY, First Vice-President, National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine and Andriy BUTENKO, Chairman, National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance, also made a welcome speech.

Session 1 of the conference was devoted to the Bologna process and digital transition in higher education.

Andriy BUTENKO, Chairman, National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance (NAQA) presented the harmonization of the Ukrainian legislation on Higher Education Quality Assurance: bringing normative and legal documents into compliance with ESG 2015. Volodymyr LUGOVYY, First Vice-President, National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine highlighted enhancing Quality of Higher Education based on Ranking and Accreditation synergy. Andriy GOZHYK, Vice Rector, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv provided presentation on internal QA for study programmes in digital/blended mode: peculiarity, opportunities and obstacles. Oleg SHAROV, Director General, Directorate for vocational pre-tertiary and higher education, Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, HERE highlighted issues of Bologna process implementation and digital transition in Ukraine’s higher education under the martial law and large-scale war

Specific challenges that Ukrainian universities are faced in aligning with the principles and goals of the bologna process were considered during Session 2, within which the Erasmus+ Project “Bologna Hub Peer Support II” was presented.

Goal and objectives of the Erasmus+ project “Bologna Hub Peer Support II” highlighted  Iryna ZOLOTARIOVA, Member of the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance; Professor, the Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics, HERE. Representatives of Ukrainian universities involved in the implementation of the project, Vyacheslav SHOBIK and Oksana SAVELYEVA, Odesa Polytechnic National University, Karina NEMASHKALO, Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics, Lyudmyla REMISHEVSKA, Khmelnytskyi National University, Anna PAVELYEVA, National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic ”, Yevgenia DRAGOMIROVA, Donetsk State University of Internal Affairs, presented challenges, experience, dialogue within the project. Kathrin HERRES, Senior Desk Officer Erasmus+ Key Action 3: Policy Support, Erasmus+, National Agency Higher Education, DAAD – German Academic Exchange Services highlighted the outcomes and prospects of the ”Bologna Hub Peer Support II“ project.

International HERE events outcomes: trends and prospects for higher education development were presented within the Session 3. Maria MYSHLOVSKA, HERE, student, Ukrainian Catholic University highlighted the results of HERE Seminar, 7-8 November 2023, University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina “Towards the 2024 Tirana Ministerial Conference: Implications and points of interest for higher education systems in Partner Countries neighbouring the EU”. Volodymyr BAKHRUSHYN, HERE Chairman; Professor, Chair of the Academic Council, National University “Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic”; Chairman of the Higher Education Unit, the Scientific and Methodical Council, Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine; Olena KOZIEVSKA, HERE, Head of the Secretariat, Committee on Education, Science and Innovations, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine – Parliament; Yuriy RASHKEVYCH, HERE, Member of the National Qualifications Agency; Professor, the Lviv Polytechnic National University; Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine (2018-2019) presented the results of HERE Annual Conference, 4-5 December 2023, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain “Higher Education Policy Reform for Impact”.