GLOBAL CHALLENGES FOR PROFESSIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION IN UKRAINE

Abstract

The article analyzes the reasons for the current state of development of the system of professional higher education of Ukraine; analyzed the global challenges of the beginning of the 21th century for the air defense system of Ukraine; and providing insights into international best practice of using external management models in higher education. On the basis of system approach, the analysis of a range of international conceptual, analytical and statistical documents as well as methods of empirical research, the effects of modern challenges on reforming the higher education system have been explored. An emphasis is made on the need to build an attractive and competitive system of professional higher education in Ukraine that will be integrated into the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and the European Research Area (ERA). The key directions to respond to challenges are offered: 1) ensuring the constitutional rights of citizens to free professional higher education on a competitive basis and equal access to high-quality professional higher education; 2) reorganization of the system of management of professional higher education, red tape reduction, decentralization, ensuring the autonomy and responsibility of higher education institutions; 3) the transformation of universities into centers of independent thought that are able to prepare professionals and generate ideas for accelerated modernization of the country; 4) ensuring fair competition between higher education institutions as a guarantee of high quality of professional higher education; 5) establishing an appropriate linkage between the labor market and the system of professional higher education; 6) integration of Ukraine’s professional higher education into the world and European education and research communities on the principles of human-centeredness, scientific substantiation, readiness for systemic changes, realistic strategy and step by step action; 7) ensuring fair competition in the educational services market through objective higher education quality assessment; 8) a combination of collegial and managerial approaches in higher education institutions management along with wide stakeholder engagement.