INSTITUTIONALIZATION AS AN ELEMENT OF UKRAINE'S HIGHER EDUCATION POLICY HARMONIZATION IN THE PROCESS OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

Abstract

This article systematizes the stages of transformation of Ukraine's higher education system after 2014 and the institutionalization of European standards within it, and also examines the significance of this process as a component of European integration. The study focuses on the institutionalization of European norms within Ukraine's higher education system, tracing its alignment with the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and the democratization of Ukrainian higher education as part of broader European Union integration dynamics. Using qualitative document analysis, the study examines Ukrainian education legislation (including the Laws on Higher Education of 2014 and on Education of 2017), EU-Ukraine Association Agreement frameworks, NAQA reports, Erasmus+ mobility data, and Horizon Europe participation documents. Education is treated as an element of soft power for shaping international image. The findings demonstrate significant institutional restructuring in the areas of democratization of university governance, external quality assurance (the role of the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance), and integration of Ukrainian universities into the EHEA and EU research networks. However, implementation remains uneven due to institutional capacity gaps, academic integrity challenges in the context of generative AI, legacy administrative practices inherited from the Soviet model, and the severe consequences of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war. The article concludes that higher education policy harmonization and the implementation of competency-based learning outcomes aligned with the European Qualifications Framework are key preconditions for Ukraine's long-term integration into the European educational, scientific, and socio-political space.