Issue #1 (Volume 14 2024)

Modern dynamic changes affect the development of higher education. This confirms the urge to actualize quality planning considering rapid educational transformations and a significant set of challenges. The purpose of this study is to theoretically and methodologically substantiate promising strategic areas of higher education in Ukraine. The paper identifies the key aspects of the modern strategy of higher education in the context of its key trends. It highlights the critical role of strategy to support the long-term success of the higher education sector in modern conditions. The necessity of considering a wide range of interests by groups of key stakeholders in the education sector is emphasized. The paper also stresses the importance of sustainable development goals to form and implement a modern higher education strategy. It is highlighted that the modern strategy of higher education covers the whole complex of drivers of exogenous and endogenous nature, which determines the vector of development. Comparative analysis is used to determine the peculiarities of the state of modern strategies of higher education on the example of Ukrainian and Polish higher education institutions. This comparative analysis of modern strategies of higher education stresses a number of differences between the state of the strategy for Ukraine and Poland. This study may be useful for researchers and analysts in eduction sector, non-profit organizations in the field of higher education, higher education institutions, international organizations, and public and local authorities. Prospects for further research are the deepening of modern strategies of higher education in the key European integration movements of Ukraine.

The article contains scientific arguments for aggravating social and labor problems, especially employment in its various manifestations. It substantiates the need to update the theoretical and methodological foundations of employment in general and its quality in particular. A modern view of the employment institute is presented. The author's concept of employment quality has been revealed. The proposed conceptology of employment quality is based on the latest theoretical and methodological foundations and opens new horizons for further scientific and applied research. First of all, it concerns development of theoretical, methodological and applied principles of employment quality assessment. It is proven that the newest trend of the current digital age is the emergence and intensive reproduction of gaps in the quality of jointly distributed labor as part of various types of both standard and especially non-standard forms of employment. The article's key quintessence is the authors' vision of employment quality as a prerequisite for sustainable people-dimensional development and justification of the need to move the institute of employment quality to the epicenter of theoretical and applied research, which should become a platform for scientific support of formation and implementation of a new social and labor policy. Further research in the field of scientific support for social and labor development has received scientific interpretation.

Decent wages in science are necessary because the work of scientists is valuable for ensuring a country's viability and economic growth. This study aims to develop the theoretical and methodological foundations for examining wage policy within the framework of the decent work concept at the sectoral level. Additionally, the study seeks to analyze wage policies within the scientific field to identify areas for enhancement. The authors developed methodological principles for assessing wages in terms of the decent work concept. The assessment of wages confirmed the hypothesis about insufficient wage policy in science, which does not attract new employees to work in scientific institutions, engages scientists in research, and motivates results. The results showed that the science sector belongs to the sectors of the economy with decent wage indicators below the average. An analysis of wage policy in science revealed some positive characteristics and negative trends. Priority objectives were set to raise the prestige and attractiveness of scientific work. These objectives include raising salaries and increasing the minimal guarantees, implementing innovative wage tariffing and bonus schemes, introducing competitive social packages, reducing the gender pay gap, and developing social partnership and wage bargaining regulations. The practical significance of the study is evident in the potential application of the methodology by the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Leaders of scientific institutions and social partners can use this methodology to derive practical benefits.