Natalia Tsybuliak

This study aims to assess how to prevent the loss of academic potential due to the full-scale war unleashed by Russia on the territory of Ukraine. The paper establishes the relationship between the location of Ukrainian researchers and their ability to engage in scientific activity and determines the factors that decrease scientific efficiency during the war. Moreover, it identifies the influence of the scientists’ place of residence on their scientific efficiency. The sample comprises 172 lecturers from Berdyansk State Pedagogical University, Ukraine. This university was chosen because it was located in the temporarily occupied territory at the beginning of the war and later was relocated to another city. 40.8% of respondents who left the temporarily occupied territory for the Ukraine-controlled territories noted a decrease in the effectiveness of their scientific activities. Furthermore, 33.8% could not think about science at all. The most challenging situation is for those who went abroad: 55.6% show decreased scientific activity, and 27.7% note its complete absence. The most significant reasons that prevent scientific activity are financial instability, lack of access to equipment, loss of relevance of previously started research, inability to concentrate on science, poor quality or lack of Internet, and adaptation to a new residence.

This study presents the experience of managing Berdyansk State Pedagogical University in the first year of a full-scale war. The purpose is to analyze the impact of management decisions on the performance indicators of the university in the conditions of temporary occupation and relocation to a new place. The relocation of Berdyansk State Pedagogical University (BSPU) to a safer territory enabled the resumption of educational activities in May 2022, after 53 days of functioning under occupation by russian troops. University staff decreased by 13%, with 57% moving to Ukraine-controlled territories and 43% remaining in the occupied zone. In addition, the student contingent decreased by 15%. The university’s scientific activity during the war decreased for only 9% in publication activity, and funding for science in 2023 increased by 379% compared to 2021. The university continued its third mission of social cooperation by providing humanitarian and psychological assistance and documenting the testimonies of people affected by the occupation. The university community currently exists in a virtual format, with staff and students in different parts of Ukraine and the world. The university must look to the future and overcome existing problems, such as preserving academic potential and student contingent, restoring electronic systems, and continuing pedagogical education.

Acknowledgment
This study was funded by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (grants 0121U10942 and 0123U100110).
We are grateful to the Armed Forces of Ukraine for providing the security necessary to conduct this analysis. This work would not have been possible without the perseverance and courage of the Ukrainian army.
We also thank the entire team of Berdyansk State Pedagogical University. Thanks to your perseverance, resilience, and unity, the university continues to operate for the development of Ukraine.

The study examines the impact of institutional mental health support on the career stability of academic staff at Ukrainian universities during the full-scale war, focusing on accessibility, cultural alignment, and tailored mental health initiatives provided by universities. The relevance of this topic arises from the unprecedented stressors affecting academic members in higher education institutions, who face both personal and professional challenges. A cross-sectional analytical design was employed, using an online survey distributed among 429 academic staff members. The findings reveal that nearly half of the respondents frequently contemplate changing careers, highlighting substantial job instability. Accessible mental health support is associated with a 6% decrease in career change intentions, while a supportive institutional culture further reduces these intentions by 8-9%. Notably, self-help practices emerged as the most effective support mechanism, associated with a 12% reduction in career change intentions. These findings suggest that institutions can improve retention by prioritizing and promoting accessible self-help initiatives. The study underscores the importance of structured mental health support in fostering resilience within the academic community, with implications for policy and practice in war-affected educational environments.

Acknowledgment
The research teams acknowledge the Armed Forces of Ukraine for providing safety during their research and credit their perseverance and courage for making this possible. Natalia Tsybuliak is grateful to the Ukraine Research Network@ZOiS, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, for support in implementing the research.
This work was supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine as part of the state-funded research project 0123U105351, “Ukrainian universities in new realities: the impact of war and mechanisms for preserving the scientific and human resource potential for training specialists in high-tech fields.”