Higher Education as a Space for Forming the Values of United Europe

Abstract

The research is focused on the role of higher education in the development of European values among applicants for higher education, in particular the role of international projects that contribute to active European citizenship and spread the fundamental values of the European Union. The article uses the method of modeling and substantiation of the model of the development of European values among future PhDs during a Jean Monnet Module of the Erasmus+ program called “University autonomy in the development of democratic values in higher education: The experience of the EU Member states for Ukraine” at Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University. The model contains four structural blocks that specify the goal, tasks, methodological approaches, principles, content of structural components, forms, methods, means, stages, functions, pedagogical conditions, and expected results. The study is aimed at developing European values in graduate students as young scientists and teachers of higher education institutions – who will become agents of qualitative changes and help establish the principles of democracy in the academic community – and deepening European integration. The results of the study are presented in the broad public discourse of Ukraine, confirmed by the data of sociological studies on European integration in Ukrainian citizens’ value orientations, accelerated by the large-scale russian military invasion of Ukraine. Since sociological studies indicate a certain fragmentation of European values instead of an integral whole in the perception of the respondents, we believe that institutions of higher education themselves are an important element that builds the state and society on the basis of European values and that international projects implemented at universities contribute to the European integration of Ukraine and the formation of the values of a united Europe in young citizens.