Reshaping the Higher Education System in Ukraine through Improvements in the Student Experience: A Pan European Action Research Approach

Debates about the purpose, importance and process of education are as old as civilisation itself. Every age has its own version of what should be taught and how to deliver this to the next generation. This paper examines five key aspects of the education process: purpose, methods, quality, transparency and independence, how these relate to modern Ukraine and the challenges this brings to their higher education system. It reports on a project working with partners across the European Union and four leading Ukrainian universities to improve the student experience and address these challenges. The results demonstrate that mentoring and communities of practice integrated into the action research process can support transformational change and a shift to a more open, student centred and constructivist education system. The resources and initiatives from this project form a roadmap to inform future development of student services across the Ukrainian Higher Education system.