On 15–16 July 2025, an online round table “Quality Assurance of Teaching and Learning in Emergency and Crisis Situations” was held, organised by the National Erasmus+ Office in Ukraine together with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, SPHERE, EACEA, and with the participation of the Higher Education Reform Experts (HERE team). Kateryna Skyba, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs of Khmelnytskyi National University, took part in the event.
The round table became an important platform for discussing modern approaches to quality assurance of education in the context of war and emergency situations. Its participants included representatives of Ukrainian higher education institutions, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance (NAQA), as well as experts from countries of the European Higher Education Area.
The meeting opened with welcoming remarks from representatives of the European Commission, the Embassy of France in Ukraine, and the National Erasmus+ Office in Ukraine. Mykhailo Vynnytskyi, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, delivered a presentation on the development of Ukrainian higher education in emergency conditions.
The keynote expert of the event, Professor Sophie Guillier (High Council for the Evaluation of Research and Higher Education, France), presented key European approaches to quality assurance, particularly in crisis contexts, and shared practical examples from other countries. Special attention was paid to adapting European quality standards to the realities of war, monitoring mechanisms, and the implementation of corrective measures.
A separate session was devoted to the exchange of experience among HERE team members, Ukrainian HEIs, and NAQA representatives regarding the adaptation of internal quality assurance systems during wartime. During a practical workshop, participants developed their own recommendations for building resilient quality assurance systems in the post-war period and worked on a shared repository of best practices, which will later be made available to all.
The meeting concluded with a summary discussion, reflection on the achieved outcomes, and an online survey regarding the learning results gained by participants.
For Khmelnytskyi National University, participation in such an event is of exceptional importance, as it allows the integration of modern European quality assurance practices into the University’s educational processes, a better understanding of international requirements, and the expansion of professional networks. In times of war, the University continues to work on improving its internal quality assurance system, as this is what ensures trust in Ukrainian education at the international level and contributes to its sustainable development.