Anastasiya Lendel
The Russian invasion on Ukraine had devastating consequences for the higher education. The IDM together with the Danube Rectors’ Conference (DRC) decided to grant two Ukrainian students or early-career researchers a fellowship.
The fellowship gives the recipient the possibility to complete research on their MA or PhD thesis. If necessary, IDM/DRC supports the fellow in finding a supervisor. The fellowship holder has also the opportunity to gain insights into the work of IDM as a non-university research institute. The IDM therefore provides a workplace and invites the student to participate in the activities of the Institute as well as to contribute to the work of IDM team members.
Our second fellow is Anastasiya Lendel, a student at the Uzhhorod National University. She is also studying International Business at the University of Ljubljana. Anastasiya is fluent in 4 languages, loves writing poems and has 14-year experience of professional dancing.
At the IDM Anastasiya works on the project: “Ukrainian Universities in the Time of Global Crisis and New Opportunities: How to Secure and Develop Human Capital”.
Crisis periods have always been accelerators for a new phase of development. In response to the Russian invasion against Ukraine, the EU granted Ukraine a candidate status which opens space for new cooperations, reforms and opportunities for Ukraine in the education sector. Currently, two major issues are present:
- how to maintain learning process during war
- how to improve educational system for EU accession and strengthening human and creative capital of the state.
In this research, experience of Western Balkan countries in the post-war period since 1990s is investigated and some practical examples of innovative reforms are proposed. Major ones are academic freedom, brain drain prevention and involvement of EU investments and initiatives. Besides, the pandemic benefited the society with tools of online learning, which became one of the measures to secure students in the current conflict and let them continue studies as much as possible. Ukraine is few steps from great improvements in all spheres, although, at the same time her human capital is endangered because of big war threats.