Editorial

The current pace of technology development determines large-scale changes in the organization of the education system in different countries.

University 2030 is a base of innovative ideas and commercialization; ecosystem of students, teachers, graduates, stakeholders, community, on the basis of which future specialists are trained for effective professional self-realization.

In the context of the World Economic Forum, the academic community must play a key role in the development and implementation of innovation, digital technologies, etc. “The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development sets out a 17 Global Goals (SDGs) to facilitate equal, sustainable and inclusive growth across the world, while promoting peace” (World Economic Forum), among them a leading role belongs to“ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. (United Nations). The contribution of universities today is in scientific partnership to achieve global goals in economic development, technology, digitalization, environmental protection, etc.

The mission of the innovative university: education, science, región

Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University (Ukraine) maintains close ties to many academic and educational institutions in the world (more than 50); including the United States, Asia and the EU. The University implements 11 no tuition fee dual Master’s degree programs with leading universities in the Republic of Poland. Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University has considerable experience in project implementation. Within the framework of the European program Erasmus + KA2, Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University received grant funds for 5 projects. For example, in the project MoPED – “Modernization of Pedagogical Higher Education by Innovative Teaching Instruments” for the first time in Ukraine, the university took initiative as a grantholder. Within the framework of the European program Erasmus + KA1, the University implements 9 programs of academic mobility of students and teachers, focused on internationalization and cooperation “without borders”. In addition, there are 23 training and research centers, the International Research Center “Observatory”, the National Contact Point of EU programs Horizon – 2020 in the field of “Nanotechnology, modern materials and advanced modern production”, Science Park “Precarpathian University”, Botanical Garden, Arboretum “Friendship”, Scientific Library, 2 interdepartmental laboratories, 10 scientific laboratories. Successfully realized projects of international importance – State Investment Project “Construction of the International Center for Meetings of Student Youth from Ukraine and the Republic of Poland (Mykulychyn, Ivano-Frankivsk region)” and the project “International Research Center “Observatory” on Mount Pip Ivan” (Pip Ivan, Chornohora Ridge, Carpathians) – are funded from EU grants. After all, an innovative university today must make full use of grant funds as additional funding for social projects, charitable programs, improving the material and technical base, conducting research, infrastructure development, training or retraining of research and pedagogical staff and so on.

Successful implementation of international projects also creates a solid basis for continued cooperation with partners or organizations, which has a positive impact on the development strategy of the university (Tsependa, 2020).

According to updated official data published on the Scimago Institutions Rankings website, in 2021 Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University took the first place in the Scimago global ranking among higher education institutions and research institutions of Ukraine and was included in the list of Top 200 Universities of Central and Eastern Europe.

The University is a member of international consortia: a member of the European Association of Universities (2010); a member of the consortium of Warsaw and Ukrainian universities (2006); a member of the University Consortium International (2015); a member of the University Consortium of the Baltic region and Ukraine (2015); a member of the International University Society “One Belt, One Road” (2016); a member of the Magna Charta Universitatum (2018). Joint research and partnership exchange of teachers is actively carried out within the consortium Collegium Carpathicum, which includes seven higher education institutions in Europe – Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University (Ukraine), University of Warsaw (Republic of Poland), University of Ostrava (Czech Republic), Pázmány Péter Catholic University (Hungary), the East European State Higher School in Przemyśl (Republic of Poland), University of Prešov (Slovakia) and Stefan cel Mare University in Suceava (Romania).

The University focuses its activities on defining and implementing educational and scientific standards; on generating changes in specialist training necessary for the region, country and the world; to develop the personality – the conveyor of intellectual and innovative potential of science and practice.

The mission of the innovative university:

• education – the provision of quality educational services aimed at training highly professional specialists most in demand in the world labor market;
• science – the formation of a modern research university – a center for generating innovative ideas and their implementation;
• region – directing educational and scientific potential to the development and strengthening of the region.

Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University trains professionals in 7 specialties of Junior Bachelor’s degree, 82 educational programs of Bachelor’s degree, 70 Master’s degree programs, 25 PhD programs, 18 ScD programs, conducts effective research and innovation activities. Over 140,000 specialists have been trained in the higher education institution during the whole period of its activity. Today, the university has 77 departments, 174 doctors of science, professors.

May 14, 2021 marked the 150th anniversary of the birth of the patron of the University – a prominent Ukrainian writer, innovator of modernist writing techniques, novelist, humanist and educator Vasyl Semenovych Stefanyk. The researchers of the Precarpathian National University have united around the celebration of this Jubilee and in cooperation with foreign partners are actively working on implementing new creative ideas, promotion of the best educational practices increasing the image of the global academic community.

The impact of digitalization and globalization on the development of leading universities

Digitalization has largely affected universities, demanding to respond to challenges and design strategic directions for development.

It is also about the use of innovative digital tools in the university educational process, the transition to new, digital learning models. The study of the best world experience shows that the digitalization of university education provides the following areas:

Digitization of internal university processes / services: updating the technical support of the educational process, creating electronic document management, e-library and systematic filling of its repository, monitoring university teachers’ publishing activity and creating platforms for distance learning, non-formal education online for researchers and educators, ensuring the functioning of digital campuses (for example, the US experience), the use of video conferencing platforms for webinars, conferences with foreign partners, the implementation of international projects and grant programs, etc.

Creating a digital marketing system to ensure proper interaction of the University with all participants of the educational and scientific process, stakeholders, graduates, applicants, NGOs, as well as systematic monitoring of the university image, innovation and creation of new digital communities and others.

Using the platform for effective interaction in the digital space with applicants and students: educational analytics and feedback to identify learning outcomes, rankings, feedback on the quality of educational services and update educational and professional programs.

Globalization in education creates opportunities for distance learning and getting higher education in the world's leading universities. In our opinion, there are real threats for those teachers who do not work on the introduction of innovative technologies in teaching; and for entire universities that do not have a strong strategy for mobility and competitiveness in the quality training of qualified professionals most in demand in the labor market.

Clayton Christensen, a Professor at Harvard Business School, is convinced that “a bleak future awaits thousands of educational institutions, especially in the developed world, which will be “undermined” by the revolutionary educational innovations of distance learning, due to the growing popularity of “mass open online courses”. According to him, by 2030, half of American universities may have been made bankrupt” (Danylyshyn, 2016). After all, many companies, centers, educational platforms today offer multinational technology programs, which are a great competition and challenge for universities, taking into account a large number of short-term, free / cheap and innovative courses for students. In addition, these training programs provide licenses and free educational services, as well as strong support online and offline (Arbeláez-Campillo, & Rojas-Bahamón, 2021, pp. 8-9). Therefore, it is extremely important to respond in time to global challenges, adapt to changes and refocus on providing quality educational services to train highly qualified professionals of the most necessary and prestigious professions of the future. It is high time to develop educational programs for the training of such specialists in accordance with market demands and trends of the industrial revolution, their accreditation by professional associations and independent experts.

Strategic targets of modern University development:

• Comprehensive development of human capital to ensure the social and economic upturn of our country.
• Creating conditions for the formation of high-minded; patriotic; educated personalities; capable of making a significant contribution to the future of Ukraine.
• Formation of highly qualified professionals using organic combination of educational; scientific and innovative activities on the basis of academic integrity.
• Creation of a strong research base at the university as a center of innovation generation; not only in Ukraine but in the whole world.
• Development of international cooperation with various organizations in the field of education, science, culture and sports.
• Formation of an innovative corporate culture of quality; development and cooperation of employees, students and graduates of the University on the basis of social responsibility (Tsependa, 2020).

Thus, the progress of science and technology is one of the reasons for the strengthening of requirements for new teaching methods (distance learning), variability of educational programs, academic mobility of students and professors from different countries or continents.

Today, the University must become a competitive educational and research center of international level, because it combines: training, development, personal and professional growth of members of the university community; base for basic and applied experimental research; platform of social formation of future specialists; business incubators; quality lifelong learning and partnership at the regional, national and international levels for the implementation of the concept of sustainable development in the context of globalization, digitalization and technology development.