The European Research Area as a Benchmark for the Development of Education and Science in Ukraine

Abstract

The paper analyses the strategic guidelines of the European Research Area. Based on the analysis, the authors interpret the European Research Area as a system of programmes and policy instruments that unites the institutional environment of research and development of the EU Member States and associated members with a view to developing international scientific and technical cooperation, free transfer of knowledge, and mobility of researchers. It is stated that the study is relevant in the context of Ukraine’s obtaining the EU candidate status in 2022 and the beginning of harmonisation of the national legal system with the “acquis communautaire”, including the field of science and education. It is revealed that various aspects of the European Research Area are the subject of research by a wide range of Ukrainian scholars. From the history of its formation to the implementation of modern programmes, the phenomenon of the European Research Area is presented in the newsletters of the project “European Research Area as a Guideline for the Development of Pedagogical Science in Ukraine: Information Hub of the Institute of Pedagogy of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine”, which is implemented with the support of the Ukrainian Educational Research Association (UERA) and the European Education Research Association (EERA). The newsletters are developed by members of the project team (O. Topuzov, O. Lokshyna, O. Shparyk, A. Dzhurylo, I. Melnyk) and posted monthly on the ERA for Development online platform. To achieve the goal of the research, the author used the method of analysing the key EU documents regulating the legal framework and determining the directions of development of the European Research Area. The authors also studied the legislative and strategic documents of Ukraine regulating the process of European integration in general and of national science in particular. The features of the formation of the European Research Area since 2000 are characterised. The authors characterised stages of its development formation in terms of focus, priorities and achievements. Based on the EU documents the evolution of the European Research Area mission starting from overcoming the fragmentation of national research systems and lack of policy coordination between Member States and the EU (2000 – 2007), to the free movement of knowledge as the “5th Freedom” (2007 – 2012), and to the creating a genuine single market for knowledge, research and innovation (2012 – 2020) is emphasised. The essential characteristics of the new European Research Area starting from 2020 are analysed. The systematic nature of the EU’s efforts to develop the European Research Area was emphasised – the updated European Research Area is the next step in the restructuring of the European research landscape. The authors concluded that such an important characteristic of the European Research Area as integration of research programmes of Member States and Associated Members within the framework of the EU guidelines actualises further integration of the Ukrainian research area into the European Research Area. The following principles and values are crucial for Ukrainian science: ethics and integrity of science and innovation, freedom of research, gender equality and equal opportunities for all, free movement of researchers, knowledge and technology, the pursuit of excellence, and social responsibility. The European Commission’s Analytical Report on Ukraine’s Application for EU Membership (2023) notes Ukraine’s aspirations for greater integration into the European Research Area. At the same time, the Report states that Ukraine has a moderately prepared level of research and innovation, national activities in the field and the ability to absorb technologies remain limited due to insufficient funding, inefficient mechanisms for allocating funds and fragmented governance. Therefore, we believe that it is promising for further research to understand successful practices of harmonising national research systems with the priorities of the European Research Area.