The impact of international projects on learning and teaching excellence in Ukrainian higher education

Abstract

The article reveals the issues of crucial role of international projects in modernizing higher education in Ukraine, directly influencing teaching, learning, and overall quality assurance in accordance with national legislation and European standards. The National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance (NAQA) recognizes the importance of these projects in adopting student-centered approaches, promoting academic freedom, and integrating research with education. NAQA's annual reports highlight the role of international projects and mobility programmes in equipping students with competencies that align with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. International cooperation, particularly through programs like Erasmus+, serves as a key driver for knowledge transfer, innovation exchange, and capacity building. Erasmus+ is particularly influential through its key actions: Key Action 1 (KA1) Mobility: Promotes academic mobility for students and staff, exposing them to diverse pedagogical methods, classroom formats, and quality assurance practices. This includes virtual exchanges, which have become vital during wartime. Key Action 2 (KA2) - Cooperation: Facilitates the development and improvement of educational programmes, including interdisciplinary curricula, aligning them with European standards and labour market needs. These projects implement problem-based learning, project-based learning, and other active learning methods. Key Action 3 (KA3) - Policy Support: Supports reforms in education, vocational training, youth, and sports. Jean Monnet Actions: Promote excellence in teaching and research on European integration, encouraging new courses and research initiatives. Projects funded by other programmes, such as Horizon Europe, also have a significant impact. Although focused on research and innovation, they foster a strong link between learning and research. For example, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) support doctoral and postdoctoral programmes, creating an academic environment that encourages cross-border, inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary mobility, which directly impacts the quality of education and career development.

Key words: international projects; higher education; quality of education; excellence; learning and teaching; academic mobility; study programmes; educational environment.