Strategic objectives and solutions until 2030

Kharkiv National University, named after its founder Vasyl Karazin, has made a great contribution to the history of the Slobozhansky region, Ukraine and the whole world. The University has educated many outstanding scientists, has created outstanding scientific schools known worldwide, and has trained tens of thousands of specialists who pursue their successful career in various fields of science, production, education and culture.

The university is a center of democracy, patriotism, humanism and freedom, and the university community prepares specialists who are able to solve the difficult tasks posed by the modern world. It also trains highly educated specialists who develop and improve their skills on a regular basis. The university graduates also combine universal and national values in the context of globalization processes and take responsibility for the fate of the entire Ukrainian community, society and Ukraine as a whole.

Karazin University continues its development and works to improve Ukrainian education and science, trains patriotic and highly qualified graduates, aims to preserve and strengthen Ukrainian cultural and national traditions, promote loyalty to Ukraine and the Ukrainians.

The challenges of our time, related to the country defense, political, social, and economic transformations of Ukrainian society, and Ukraine's new place in Europe and in the world, have emphasized the importance and efficiency of university basic principles, which have been adhered to since the university was founded. Such principles include education unity, science, and personal development.

Science is a key component of education and a means of professional training of future specialists. Education is an inseparable part of personal development and it is provided to our students, postgraduates and doctoral students on the basis of humanism, justice, honor, patriotism, respect for humanity, national traditions preservation.

Successful implementation of scientific, educational, social and civic missions will determine the place of our institution in the cultural space of Ukraine, Europe and worldwide.
The strategic objectives and intentions of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University define the framework for making strategic decisions of the university in certain areas and building interdisciplinary cooperation and interaction with the applied areas on the basis of sustainable development.

The document was prepared taking into account: Strategies of Higher Education. Development in Ukraine for 2022-2032 (2022), the European Commission's Recommendations on the European Strategy for Universities (2022), as well as European Commission strategic documents on the clean technology economy development, Industry 5.0, Digital and Green Transition, leading Think-Tank centers analytical reports on human educational and innovation networks development.

The document defines the main objectives, sub-goals and tools for the university development, includes the analysis and identifies the appropriate measures and solutions to minimize the imbalance in the system of economic, environmental and social components of sustainability, as well as to counteract the destructive effects of military threats. V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University strives to strengthen its position not only at the national but also at the international level. It aims to support and develop the image of an educational institution that provides a unique combination of educational, scientific, creative and professionally oriented activities. This balanced combination, supported with broad opportunities for practical training, will be used to educate highly qualified graduates with a high quality education.

The university's aspirations are:
- to expand the knowledge economy, to improve the education system rapidly, to support modern research and development, and to make a significant increase in innovations generation and application;
- to promote long-term growth of quality life and ethical values development, to create a knowledge-driven society that respects the mechanisms and limits of sustainable development.
To be an open university that offers education that meets the requirements of the 21st century and contributes to the overall development of creative activity and critical thinking of all members of society, and at the same time to be a dynamic, multicultural institution that makes a significant contribution to the society development.

The main intentions of the university:
- to produce and disseminate knowledge, skills and abilities that are relevant in modern society;
- to spread the Ukrainian language, literature, culture, history, traditions both in the internal and external environment, to create a modern Ukrainian-language product;
- to preserve the collective memory of the Ukrainian people's struggle for freedom and democracy;
- to cooperate with partners in order to promote the general dissemination of knowledge relevant to society;
- to be a multicultural and multilingual environment where new values are created;
- to contribute to the progressive social development in Ukraine and worldwide;
- to develop a powerful brand with international influence and Ukrainian authenticity;
- to achieve excellence in all roles performed by the university;
- to perpetuate the memory of all the university members who gave their lives for Ukraine;
- to build the Fifth Kharkiv (implementation of Yurii Shevelov's idea).
- Individual objective 1.1: To improve the management system quality
  
  The quality management system implemented at the university should be supplemented with new elements that contribute to quality improvement in certain areas of activity. In 2023, the aim is to identify the missing elements in the system and to suggest a concept for their integration into the system, especially in the crucial areas of educational, scientific and creative activities. The measures taken will involve conducting an additional internal quality assessment and amending the internal assessment report. In order to improve the quality of education, the emphasis will be put on the ethics of publications (origin of graduate works, proper citation, plagiarism elimination), and all students and researchers will have to comply with academic ethics standards from the first year of study via additional education (seminars, lectures).
  
  The system of quality management system will be improved at all levels by harmonizing the interaction of internal and external quality assurance systems of higher education, by undergoing the institutional accreditation, by involving international agencies in the university accreditation, by designing, implementing and developing interdisciplinary educational programs and introducing new double degrees programs, by harmonizing bachelor's, master's, educational and scientific programs, etc.
  
  The strategy also includes applying artificial intelligence in order to improve the quality of the management system and enhance the quality of the university education.
  
  Solutions:
  - To develop the concept of new elements integration into the quality management system.
  - To compile regulatory documents for quality assurance in higher education.
  - To undergo the institutional accreditation for the university.
  - To undergo the university accreditation of interdisciplinary educational programs - at least 10% of all master's educational programs.
  Responsibility: Vice-Rector for Research and Teaching Oleksandr GOLOVKO.
  
  Individual objective 1.2: To develop educational infrastructure and virtual learning systems
  
  The objective is to support the educational infrastructure development, which plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality of educational programs, knowledge, skills and professional competencies. The activities will focus mainly on restoring learning spaces, virtual infrastructure to conduct classes, materials for practical training and on providing information sources to participants in the educational process.
  
  Solutions:
  - To develop a plan for classroom and laboratory facilities modernization.
  - To extend the university license for information sources.
  - To centralize, digitalize and expand the collections of central scientific library.
  Responsibility: Vice-rector for Research and Teaching Vasyl BLYNDIUK.
  
  Individual objective 1.3: To introduce and implement the concept of human resources development
  
  The objective is to develop university human resources (in particular, to encourage entrepreneurial and creative skills of the staff, to improve the recruitment processes and develop its transparency and to encourage researchers to join the university). The university also aims to clarify the documents that define human resources development, in particular, the code of researchers' ethical behavior and the procedure for adaptation and integration of employees, to approve the assessment system concept and personal development planning.
  
  Solutions:
  - To develop the university HR policy.
  - To create the system of new employees support and adaptation (a manual available on the website).
  - To approve the system of performance evaluation and personal development planning for academic and non-academic employees.
  - To clarify the system of incentives and rewards for academic and non-academic employees.
  - To establish the system of performance evaluation and personal development planning for academic and non-academic employees in accordance with the university jobs and its long-term strategy.
  Responsibility: Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Borys SAMORODOV.
- Individual objective 2.1: To continue to support students with special needs
  
  The objective is to support and ensure comfortable and high-quality education for people with special needs; to create a modern, unhindered university space, and to facilitate the provision of learning tools, including digital ones, for such people. The university also takes into account the needs of the post-war society, changes in the labor market in the context of Ukraine's post-war recovery, the peculiarities of the post-traumatic state of society and individuals. In particular, the objective is to organize flexible, convenient and effective education for people with special needs.
  
  Solutions:
  - To create educational programs for people with special needs have - one or two per year.
  - To implement the project "University for the Military" in order to provide participants of the Russian-Ukrainian war, including those who have lost their ability to work, with services to obtain other higher education, short-term retraining courses or acquire competencies.
  - To create a program of psychological support for higher education students who have special needs for such support in a post-war society.
  Responsibility: Vice-Rector for Research and Teaching Oleksandr GOLOVKO.
  
  Individual objective 2.2: To continue lifelong learning development
  
  The objective is to meet the individuals' needs for professional development, to acquire new modern skills and competencies necessary to achieve career goals and live a comfortable life, to meet the needs of the labor market, enterprises, organizations for qualified personnel. The university also aims to create conditions with a flexible response to the demand for the elderly population education, including certain groups of professionals (both applied scientists and university employees) who the university can create relevant educational products for.
  
  Solutions:
  Responsibility: Vice-Rector for Research and Teaching Anatolii BABICHEV.
  
  Individual objective 2.3: To continue to develop counseling services in the field of education, career, personal and social services.
  
  The objective is to increase the students' adaptation to a dynamic social environment, to provide assistance in difficult life situations, to expand the number of university educational services consumers, to improve counseling services accessibility and to support projects aimed to develop the professional career of university students and graduates (job fairs, career days, etc.). The university also aims to develop extracurricular activities to meet personal and group social needs of a legal, medical, social, communicative, psychological, information and consulting nature.
  
  Solutions:
  Responsibility: Vice-Rector for Research and Teaching Oleksandr GOLOVKO, Vice-Rector for Research and Teaching Anatolii BABICHEV.
  
  Individual objective 2.4: To improve the university's recognition among potential students
  
  The objective is to maintain an attractive image of the university as a modern innovative center to obtain world-class educational services, to promote modern science and technology development, as a platform to fulfil the students' dreams and aspirations and build a career; to attract new students both in Ukraine and abroad. The university also aims to offer training courses using the university information resources with an emphasis on cooperation with school graduates from Ukraine and abroad.
  
  Solutions:
  - To create and exercise the communication policy that ensures the growth of the university positive image by 5% annually.
  - To create an effective system to disseminate information about the university, its activities, students, graduates, researchers and communication with potential consumers of educational services.
  - To provide new modern advertising, designed for different age, professional and social groups, and to distribute it in Ukraine and abroad.
  - To enhance cooperation with schools.
  Responsibility: Vice-Rector for Research and Teaching Anatolii BABICHEV.
- Individual objective 3.1: To continue to develop international cooperation
  
  The objective is to internationalize and develop strategic partnerships with foreign entities as a tool to improve the education and research quality, to expand the students and academic staff mobility, to integrate international experience into the educational process, to plan and to conduct research, and to develop educational strategies aimed at preserving the value of European solidarity, diversity, civic engagement and responsibility, taking into account the prospects for the modern society development.
  
  Solutions:
  - To establish horizontal and vertical relationships within university departments and with partner universities in order to initiate interdisciplinary projects.
  - To increase bilateral international academic mobility of students and academic staff by 10% annually.
  - To expand the university role in international alliances and consortia at national, European and international levels - to increase annual memberships by at least 2 institutions.
  - To encourage students and young scientists to take an active part in international projects.
  - To implement double degree programs.
  - To improve language competencies of staff and students.
  Responsibility: Vice-Rector for Research and Teaching Borys SAMORODOV.
  
  Individual objective 3.2: To develop a multicultural and multilingual educational and extracurricular environment
  
  The objective to develop a multicultural and multilingual educational and extracurricular environment is to create an open space to develop education, science, and culture that will help attract as many foreign students as possible to explore their cultures, traditions, languages, and religions. The university supports foreign experts and teachers employment and participation in the life of the university. Key university documents are being translated into English.
  
  Solutions:
  - To provide educational grounds to study Ukrainian culture, language, and traditions and to implement them into the educational process for foreign students.
  - To organize extracurricular activities with foreign students' participation to popularize the history, culture and traditions of students from different countries - at least 3 times a year.
  - To create a joint cultural and educational product with diplomatic institutions and communities.
  - To increase the number of foreign language teachers with international certificates by 5% annually.
  - To arrange academic and non-academic communication of foreign students, teachers, and researchers with Ukrainian colleagues by organizing educational, scientific, and social events, both internal and external.
  Responsibility: Vice-Rector for Research and Teaching Borys SAMORODOV.
- Individual objective 4.1: To maintain the relevance of research and cooperation with the industrial sector
  
  The objective is to increase the quantitative and qualitative indicators of the university staff's publication activity and to expand the university's scientific activity in social networks, media, etc.
  
  The university also aims to extend opportunities for real sector representatives to contact students and researchers, in particular to promote young scientists' achievements and to expand their contribution to the state's defense capability. Postgraduate students' competence in independent creative activity should be ensured and thoroughly tested.
  
  Solutions:
  - To implement a system that will manage the intellectual property creation and commercialization.
  - To introduce criteria for the PhD training effectiveness including scientific performance.
  - To approve the system to encourage employees' publishing activity, including non-science faculties (in particular, for publications in journals ranked in Q1-Q2 quartiles in scientometric databases).
  - To increase the indexes of periodicals in scientometric databases (approximately 10 journals).
  Responsibility: Vice-Rector for Research and Teaching Anton PANTELEYMONOV.
  
  Individual objective 4.2: To develop cooperation with regional partners
  
  The objective is to establish cooperation with public authorities and the business sector of Kharkiv and Kharkiv region (and, in the future, Ukraine) concerning scientific developments commercialization. Particular attention should be paid to defense and applied areas of research results.
  
  Solutions:
  
  To take an active part in strategic recovery documents preparation and implementation at local, regional, and national levels. To increase the volume of contractual work to 50% of the total research funding. To create consortia together with the private sector to apply for international grants. To sell licenses and patents (at least 1 per year).
  
  Responsibility: Vice-Rector for Research and Teaching Anton PANTELEYMONOV.
  
  Individual objective 4.3: To expand cooperation with alumni
  
  The objective is to establish systematic work with university alumni as experts and employers in the university's educational and scientific policies and to involve them in joint scientific and educational projects implementation. An important aspect is to cooperate with graduates who work according to their qualifications received at the university. The idea is to adjust and update the educational programs content, to ensure that educational services provided by the university is correspond the best global trends, to complement the educational process content with practical competencies adapted to market needs, to develop and improve dual education on a regular basis.
  
  Solutions:
  - To develop a system of regular communication with alumni (surveys) in cooperation with the Alumni and University Friends Association.
  - To create expert communities, involving alumni from different fields of knowledge to receive feedback and improve educational programs.
  - To involve university graduates with practical experience in the educational process.
  - To attract sponsorship from alumni and university friends.
  Responsibility: Vice-Rector for Research and Teaching Oleksandr GOLOVKO.
- Individual objective 5.1: To continue to support effective teams
  
  The objective is to support the university effective research teams by preparing faculty and graduate students to work in the field of research management, promoting educational projects, or creating the necessary conditions to implement project proposals, including those submitted to external (especially foreign) grant agencies.
  
  Solutions:
  - To create courses to develop project and grant competencies of academic staff for further grant-making activities - at least 2 groups annually.
  - To increase the number of projects of different directions.
  - To ensure an effective cooperation with domestic research organizations.
  - To publish newsletters about upcoming domestic and foreign scientific and educational contests with funding opportunities on a regular basis.
  Responsibility: Vice-Rector for Research and Teaching Borys SAMORODOV.
  
  Individual objective 5.2: To establish and maintain a university project center activity
  
  he objective is to create a unit responsible for supporting large university projects with an emphasis on research and development, university infrastructure rehabilitation, and projects promoting the university. The work of the unit will include creating the methodology for project activities at the university, organizing methodological guidance for separate competitions, ensuring the projects sustainability at the university, exercising a project approach in educational programs by responsible groups, and supporting projects for educational products preparation.
  
  Solutions:
  - To approve the university project activity policy. To appoint the centers for project and grant work coordination at the university and in departments.
  - To organize the systemic work of university project activity.
  - To ensure special preparation for individual grant competitions to be organized on a regular basis.
  - To give instructions on how to support project groups on a regular basis.
  Responsibility: Vice-Rector for Research and Teaching Anatoliy BABICHEV.
  
  Individual objective 5.3: To enhance postgraduate and non-formal education efficiency
  
  The objective is to increase the demand for university postgraduate and non-formal education among potential students; to increase the number of people willing to receive university services among professional communities, enterprises and business representatives, people of different age groups; to increase revenues to the university budget; to ensure social support for university employees and to promote their professional development and new competencies acquisition.
  
  Solutions:
  - To develop new programs of postgraduate and non-formal education in accordance with the students' needs and desires - up to 5 new programs annually.
  - To improve the quality of postgraduate and non-formal education services provided by the university, and to increase financial revenues and the number of students receiving education services.
  - To create popular science information products in the field of non-formal education system, taking into account current global trends - at least 3 annually.
  - To increase the annual number of non-formal and postgraduate students.
  - To develop the image of the University as the largest and most effective LLL center in Ukraine.
  Responsibility: Vice-Rector for Research and Teaching Anatoliy BABICHEV.
- Individual objective 6.1: To continue digital space development and electronization of the university processes
  
  The objective of the digital space development is to create a digital infrastructure, namely a set of interconnected information systems aimed to improve the quality of the main administrative, educational, scientific, financial and economic processes. The university also aims to reduce bureaucracy and digitalize all the paper documentation.
  
  Solutions:
  - To improve the level of university employees' digital literacy - at least 2 training courses on professional development annually.
  - To switch to electronic documentation process at the university by introducing online forms to manage the educational process organization and to report on the staff and staff movement at the university.
  - To manage the educational process according to transparency and openness principles using the software package "PS Dean's Office".
  - To create online platforms to provide educational and information services to students, university graduates, potential clients, employers, experts, the public, teachers, staff and university management - at least 2 times a year.
  Responsibility: Vice-Rector for Research and Teaching Borys SAMORODOV.
  
  Individual objective 6.2: To improve the university's ranking indicators
  
  The objective of improving the university's ranking indicators is to consolidate and improve the university's position in the national and international educational and scientific environment based on a combination of research effectiveness, scientific personnel efficiency, international activity development. This goal will also be achieved by introducing innovations in the educational process, improving academic reputation and information transparency.
  
  Solutions:
  - To make the university included in new rankings (QS Sustainability).
  - To improve the university’s position in the existing rankings (QS and others).
  - To improve the university’s indicators in international and domestic rankings.
  Responsibility: Vice-Rector for Research and Teaching Borys SAMORODOV.
- Individual objective 7.1: To support control processes in the economic sphere
  
  The objective of the control processes in the economic sphere is to provide timely, transparent and objective information to governmental agencies, university administration and the corresponding departments on the financial condition of the enterprise, available labor, material (intangible) and financial resources. The university also aims to promote conservation and efficient use of such resources; to ensure the necessary funding for the university activity in accordance with the approved plans, standards and budget.
  
  Solutions:
  - To make the university's financial activity transparent and to ensure the audits of the university's processes to be conducted on a regular basis.
  - To develop mechanisms for all departments to comply with the relevant internal rules, planning and accounting.
  - To provide analytical and consolidated income and expenses statement concerning all the university units.
  Responsibility: Vice-Rector for Research and Teaching Vasyl BLYNDIUK.
  
  Individual objective 7.2: To optimize the economic information systems architecture
  
  The objective of optimizing the economic information systems architecture is to create a University Data Center, to transfer from services and applications hosted on discrete heterogeneous hardware and software platforms to an integrated management system. This optimization is aimed at making the best use of available resources, ensuring the most efficient management and sufficient flexibility to adapt to new requirements put forward by business processes and the university's business strategy.
  
  Solutions
  - To update economic and management information systems and to create an integrated system of planning and accounting for the university's financial and economic activities - until 12.2024.
  - To ensure the university departments integration into a single information system.
  - To ensure uninterrupted operation of information systems and information security.
  - To reconstruct the internal data transmission network in order to provide high-speed and reliable access to all university departments - by 12.2024.
  Responsibility: Vice-Rector for Research and Teaching Vasyl BLYNDIUK.
  
  Individual objective 7.3: To modernize university facilities
  
  The objective of university facilities modernization is to upgrade the technological infrastructure of the university and to focus on the principles of sustainable development and environmental friendliness, to comply with international requirements, and to be competitive in providing educational and other services.
  
  Solutions:
  - To restore and modernize the infrastructure of the educational space, educational and research equipment, in particular, to meet the requirements of inclusiveness and safety for students, teachers and researchers.
  - To equip basic teaching laboratories and advanced research laboratories with information technology equipment (digital infrastructure), taking into account modern requirements for the educational process organization.
  - To build, repair or restore educational buildings and dormitories.
  - To attract partners' resources in order to develop the university's infrastructure, educational and research space.
  Responsibility: Vice-Rector for Research and Teaching Vasyl BLYNDIUK.