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.

The relevance of the research is determined by the need of modern agricultural enterprises for innovations. Only on the basis of innovative development they can be competitive and later enter industry 4. The purpose of the article is to analyze and justify an innovative approach to the formation of technological networks in the agricultural sector based on the use of competitive advantages of human capital and strengthening of its creativity. The authors note that in order to attract innovation, project managers must coordinate the company's strategy with the strategy of knowledge management and creativity development. The study summarizes the results of using an innovative model in the Brazilian agricultural sector that promotes human capital development and knowledge generation, as well as environmental sustainability (the UTAUT model). The evaluation of these results showed that a significant factor in the successful implementation of the innovation model is the creation of an appropriate organizational and management culture, focused on the involvement of innovations in the activities of agricultural enterprises. The authors conducted a survey of agricultural workers of large and small enterprises of this industry in order to identify their need and degree of readiness for innovations. The results of the survey showed significant differences between large and small enterprises in the given parameters, which require the choice of different ways and sources of strengthening their innovativeness. The problem raised in the article is also relevant for Ukraine as a country with a traditional agricultural sector.

The article examines the impact of the full-scale war initiated by the russian federation on demographic risks in Ukraine. The full-scale war has led to significant changes in the country’s demographic structure, including a sharp decline in the birth rate and an increase in the mortality rate, exacerbating the demographic crisis. The study aims to identify the main demographic risks caused by the war and assess their long-term impact on Ukraine’s socio-economic development. The object of the study is demographic processes in the conditions of the full-scale war. The methodological basis is the demographic analysis of changes in population size, birth, and mortality rates. In 2022, Ukraine’s population was 44.07 million people, but after two years of war, this figure decreased by 15.05%, reaching 37.44 million by early 2024. The birth rate dropped to 5.5‰, and the fertility rate decreased to a critically low level of 0.9 in 2024, one of the lowest rates in the world. Regarding mortality, despite the active hostilities, the mortality rate paradoxically decreased in 2022–2024 compared to previous years (17.1‰ in 2021), likely due to the population reduction caused by mass migration and difficulties in data collection. According to the UN, a total of 22,594 civilians were killed due to military actions, although the actual number of casualties could be much higher. The results indicate a deep demographic crisis that requires urgent government action to stabilize the situation and restore demographic potential. The study's practical significance lies in the potential use of the results to develop government programs to support the birth rate, reduce mortality, and ensure social development in the post-war period.