The article analyzes the level of development of educational systems in Eastern European countries by using empirical data from international comparative studies. The tools of comparative analysis are used to group the studied publications, which directly or indirectly consider an educational system at the level of different countries and regions of the world. The newest western approaches to the issue of educational systems are represented. The unsurpassed value of multi-object international comparative research in the study of educational systems of the world enabling the analysis of the phenomenon at the interdisciplinary level is emphasized. The author's definition of “international comparative research” is formulated based on modern scientific studies, which is interpreted as a special type of research, which purpose is to conduct multilevel analysis to compare macro-objects, based on subjective empirical data. Emphasis is done on the lack of a unified terminological apparatus of the studied issue in modern science, which indicates the availability of the following definitive plurality: “comparative studies”, “international issues”, “cross-cultural studies”, and “international comparative studies”. The analysis of the level of development of educational systems of Eastern European countries is based on a comparison of official statistical materials of the World Bank. The processed statistical materials are correlated with the results of descriptive statistics during the testing of statistical hypotheses. Subject analysis of educational systems in Eastern Europe is based on a comparison of empirical data on three criteria – international educational projects, the highest educational results (“S.A.B.E.R”), and the amount of external funding for the educational branch.

The article focuses on the professional and scientific path of Professor Ivan Mykolayovych Ishchenko. He was a leading Ukrainian surgeon, a renowned scientist, an accomplished teacher, and a great humanist who formed the ideology of surgical science. Professor Ishchenko defined and developed promising directions for scientific research in the fields of military field surgery, urology, traumatology, neuro‑ and thoracic surgery, and tissue transplantation. His scientific interests included the surgical treatment of diseases of the biliary tract, liver, and stomach as well as theoretical and practical issues of anesthesia administration.