Possibilities of implementing HEI’s third mission in Ukraine before a full-scale war and correction of these processes in wartime

Abstract

Every year, the problem of the third mission of a university is popularized in scientific discourse. The social responsibility of higher education institutions in the conditions of the war between russia and Ukraine and the post-war period is to overcome the multidirectional tasks of higher education, concentrate and strengthen efforts to implement social projects, expand directions for the development of interaction between universities and territorial communities, improve the quality of research to restore the state economy and its development. Therefore, there is a need to rethink the ways of direct and indirect influence on society, the country in particular. The purpose of this paper is to determine the level of awareness and readiness for interaction between the university and the community. The study was conducted from January to June 2020 with the participation of 1,050 respondents from 25 regions of Ukraine. According to the conducted survey, the majority of respondents believe that universities should contribute to the development of the community and note the mutual benefit of university-community interaction for universities and local communities. However, the survey results also showed a low participation experience combined with the willingness to participate in activities offered by higher education institutions. Due to the full-scale war, which fundamentally changed the conditions and affected the efficiency of both universities and most communities, the choice of a community involvement model within the third mission of a university, taking into account the pre-war readiness of universities for a productive community and modern military challenges, remains relevant. Acknowledgment This contribution is prepared in the framework of the realization the Erasmus+ KA 2 CBHE project “Universities-Communities: Strengthening Cooperation” (Grant Agreement 101083077) and with the support and funding under Researchers at Risk Fellowships Programme led by the British Academy in partnership with the Academy of Medical Sciences, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society and Council for At-Risks Academics (CARA). The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.