Functioning of a higher educational institution under force majeure circumstances: A case study of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv

Abstract

Over the last decade, Ukrainian higher educational institutions have faced extraordinary and even dire circumstances three times: russia’s attack on Ukraine in Donbas and occupation of Crimea (2014); a total lockdown caused by a pandemic due to the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) (2020); russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine (2022). Each time, Ukrainian higher educational institutions had to reformat the educational process to meet the challenges of the time. Lviv region began accepting internally displaced people from Donbas and Crimea in 2014. In this regard, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv (Lviv University) has established itself as one of the regional leaders. The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic required the immediate organization of distance learning and, therefore, the improvement of information and technical support. russian crimes against humanity in 2022 caused an enormous wave of internal displacement of citizens. Employees and students of Lviv University have been helping internally displaced people with housing, food, and basic necessities since the beginning of the full-scale war; they have also assisted refugees at checkpoints along the Ukrainian-Polish border. Over a hundred University students and employees serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Those who remain at home work hard to bring victory over the enemy closer. They are volunteering, fundraising, arranging humanitarian aid, cooperating with international charitable organizations, etc.Under difficult wartime conditions, the University’s academic community continues to fulfil its primary mission: to provide modern, high-quality education.

Coverage of the Russian armed aggression against Ukraine in scientific works: Bibliometric analysis

“…Dahl East Ukrainian National University and Donetsk National Technical University, which had to change their location twice (Porkuian et al, 2023;Zakharova & Prodanova, 2023); institutions in Chernihiv and Sumy, which worked during terrorist missile bombings and encirclement (Novomlynets et al, 2023;Nifatova et al, 2023;Karpusha et al, 2023); the resistance of the capital's university, which was at the epicenter of terrorist missile attacks several times (Bugrov et al, 2023); aid and volunteering of universities located hundreds of kilometers from the front line (Nestulya et al, 2023;Kaplenko et al, 2023;Tsos et al, 2023); online learning projects acquired during the COVID-restrictions and even more important in wartime (Kuzheliev et al, 2023;Kvyetnyy et al, 2023;Greshta et al, 2023); organizing the work of a scientific library in the front-line Dnipro (Kolesnykova, 2023); acquired by scientists during emigration and continuation of scientific research (Polishchuk et al, 2023), etc. In the article by Petrushenko et al (2023) from this special edition, a bibliometric analysis of publications on the management of higher education institutions in wartime conditions is presented, in which the lack of conceptual studies devoted to the role of universities in the war and post-war reconstruction of the State of Ukraine is noted.…”

Burnout dynamic among Ukrainian academic staff during the war

“…Today, the professional activity of a Ukrainian academic staff depends on the map of active hostilities, missile attacks, air raid alerts, the availability of electricity, and the stability of the Internet 36 .Further analysis of academic publications reveals that, in addition to the insurmountable external factors, universities had to overhaul their management, teaching, and learning processes due to the devastating full-scale invasion. These alterations were dependent on the university locations, staff, and students and had an impact on academic staff, resulting in amplified responsibilities and a need for rapid adjustment to course content and teaching methodologies tailored to the individual abilities of each student [36][37][38] .The ongoing military operations in Ukraine have necessitated an increase in universities' third mission, requiring academic staff to engage in volunteering activities beyond their professional workload [39][40][41] . Additionally, a significant number of academic staff members have been forced to flee their homes due to the occupation of their hometowns or escalating military activities.…”

“…The ongoing military operations in Ukraine have necessitated an increase in universities' third mission, requiring academic staff to engage in volunteering activities beyond their professional workload [39][40][41] . Additionally, a significant number of academic staff members have been forced to flee their homes due to the occupation of their hometowns or escalating military activities.…”