Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University has begun work on the scientific project “Institutionalization of interaction between higher education institutions and territorial communities as a factor in the restoration and preservation of human capital in conditions of martial law and post-war reconstruction of the country” of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, which aims to develop strategies for interaction between the university and territorial communities to preserve the human potential of the country.

Project goal and strategic guidelines

The project goal is to develop conceptual and practice-oriented principles for the institutionalization of interaction between higher education institutions and territorial communities as a strategic resource for the preservation and development of human capital in conditions of martial law and post-war reconstruction. The implementation of the initiative is aimed at strengthening the social role of the university, developing inter-sectoral partnerships, and integrating scientific results into the practices of local and regional development.

The first working meeting of the project team took place recently. The founding meeting was attended by the project manager Nadiia VASYNOVA, the responsible person Olha SAIENKO, as well as the executors Yaroslava YURKIV and Viktoriia VOLODAVCHYK. The participants discussed the organizational principles of the project implementation, the stages of research and practical tasks, as well as the mechanisms for involving representatives of territorial communities in scientific and educational activities.

During the meeting, the general conceptual framework of the project was outlined, its goal and key tasks were determined, the logic of forming work packages and implementation stages was presented, functional responsibilities were distributed between the project team members, and approaches to interdisciplinary and interstructural interaction within the university and with community partners were agreed upon.

The first work package: the scientific basis of the partnership

In the near future, the team will focus on fulfilling the tasks of the first work package, which involves creating a conceptual basis for institutionalizing the interaction between higher education institutions and territorial communities. Its implementation includes the analysis, generalization and systematization of Ukrainian and international experience of partnership between universities and communities, as well as the formation of conceptual principles of cooperation as a factor in the preservation and development of human capital in the conditions of war and post-war reconstruction.

Within the framework of this stage, the following key tasks have been identified:

• to study the theoretical and methodological principles of interaction between universities and territorial communities;

• to analyze the practical experience of institutionalizing cooperation between HEIs and territorial communities in Ukraine and abroad;

• to form a conceptual model of institutionalizing interaction between higher education institutions and territorial communities, focused on strengthening the social role of universities and supporting sustainable development of territories.

The implementation of the project involves the preparation of scientific publications in professional and international publications, conducting scientific and practical events, involving students, undergraduates and young scientists in research and project activities, etc.

The project will contribute to the development of the “third mission” of the university, strengthening partnerships with territorial communities and forming institutionally established models of interaction in the format “university – government – business – society”, which is an important prerequisite for the sustainable socio-economic development of Ukraine in the conditions of martial law and post-war recovery.

According to N. S. Vasynova (project manager)