SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PREREQUISITES OF STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT OF UNIVERSITIES IN THE CONDITIONS OF WAR AND POST-WAR PERIOD

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to study current social and economic prerequisites of the strategic development of higher educational institutions (universities) in the conditions of war and post-war period. The theoretical significance of the article is that, based on the authors’ analysis, the social and economic prerequisites for the strategic development of universities in the conditions of war and post-war period are characterized; a comprehensive analysis of political, economic, social and demographic and technological factors that cause opportunities/threats to the strategic development of universities is presented. The practical significances of the article are that the main challenges that will hinder the strategic development of universities in the conditions of war and post-war period were highlighted; strategic tasks for universities based on current peculiarities of social and economic environment are proposed. It is substantiated that in the process of strategic development of universities it is advisable to conduct an in-depth comprehensive analysis of political, economic, social and demographic and technological factors that directly affect or will likely affect their (universities) strategic goals and objectives. The method of PEST analysis was used to comprehensively characterize the set of the most significant factors of influence. It is determined that the significant political factors are large-scale military aggression of the Russian Federation, domestic political center-oriented processes and prevailing of populist paradigms, national policy on economic development/global leadership/competitiveness. Among the economic factors are significant losses of social and economic potential of the country's regions, significant destruction of infrastructure, loss of human potential due to external migration, rising unemployment, loss of export positions, relocation of business from the occupied territories. Among the social and demographic factors, it was substantiated significant migration flows, declining of pace of population reproduction, accelerating the aging process, increasing the share of single-parent families, the unity of Ukrainian society in the direction of countering the enemy, a high level of patriotism, the formation of a democratic political nation and civil society, responsibility, ability to radically change the further history of Ukraine. The key challenges that create opportunities/threats for the strategic development of universities are identified: the need to restore the material and technical base, human resources and research infrastructure of universities, bringing training programs in line with regional labor markets, introduction of retraining/adult training programs, optimization and reengineering of business processes, providing flexibility in responding to changing conditions, introducing the concept of result-based university management, increasing the level oftechnologization and digitalization of business processes, strengthening the research component in activities along with deepening the level of international partnership. Strategic vectors of development of universities during post-war period are proposed: the need to intensify cooperation with partners, focus on research aimed at overcoming the greatest societal challenges, involving a wide range of stakeholders in the process of co-production and innovation, building "smart specialization" of each university, implementation of certain principles (positioning of university, synergy, integration, technological development, involvement, optimality) in the process of strategizing, incorporation of ICT in order to improve internal business processes of universities, widespread implementation of the so-called partnership model of university management, implementation of communicative and information function in cooperation with refugees, accelerating training of engineering and technological specialties.

Keywords

• strategic development
• strategic management
• social and economic prerequisites
• institutions of higher education
• war
• post-war period