SIN-NEC: Sustainability and Internationalization Capacities to Promote Modernisation of Newcomers Higher Education in Neighbourhood East Countries

Throughout 2025, the Institute for Digitalization of Education of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine actively participated in the implementation of the international ERASMUS+ SIN-NEC project (project leader: S. H. Lytvynova, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine). The project aims to strengthen internationalization, develop digital competencies, and integrate the principles of sustainable development into higher education and research activities.

One of the key areas of activity in 2025 was participation in professional development programs for academic and administrative staff. Representatives of the Institute took part in a four-day face-to-face training course at Carinthia University of Applied Sciences (CUAS, Villach, Austria). The training focused on modern approaches to the internationalization of the educational process, management of international activities, and practices supporting academic mobility in the context of digitalization.

The visit also included the inaugural meeting of the SIN-NEC Project Consortium, during which partners discussed the project’s strategic objectives, expected outcomes, and mechanisms for cooperation among participating institutions.

An important preparatory component was participation in a series of online training sessions organized by CUAS, including:

  • Teaching in the Heterogeneous International Classroom, focused on working in a multicultural educational environment;
  • Support for English Usage and Upskilling Language Competencies, aimed at improving academic English proficiency and communication skills.

Throughout the year, considerable attention was paid to the development of Virtual Exchange (VE) as a tool for digital internationalization. Institute representatives completed specialized training programs:

  • VE DESIGN: Design and Didactics of Virtual Exchange;
  • VE FACILITATION: Virtual Exchange Facilitation and Engagement;
  • VE PRACTICAL PROJECT: Design Sprint and Peer Feedback.

The acquired knowledge enabled the development of a checklist for teachers and administrators containing step-by-step recommendations for organizing and implementing VE in the educational process, as well as the formation of an institutional model for supporting virtual academic cooperation.

Comprehensive analytical activities were carried out within the project framework. In particular, a self-assessment questionnaire on the level of internationalization was developed and implemented, allowing the identification of strengths, risks, and development prospects of international activities.

In addition, a questionnaire on internationalization and sustainable development in the context of educational digitalization was prepared for institutions of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine. A large-scale online survey among administrators, international office representatives, and teaching staff formed the basis for:

  • preparing a SWOT analysis of the Institute for Digitalization of Education;
  • developing a draft strategic action plan for internationalization and sustainable development of higher education and research institutions.

The implementation of the SIN-NEC project was accompanied by active research and publication activities. In 2025:

  • an article was accepted for publication in the international peer-reviewed journal Information Technologies and Learning Tools (Category A, Web of Science);
  • several articles were published in international journals and conference proceedings, including Information Technologies and Learning Tools (Web of Science) and AREdu (CEUR-WS);
  • an English-language article on critical thinking development in the context of sustainable development is currently under review in a Q2-ranked journal.

An important outcome of the project was the modernization of educational content. In 2025:

  • a syllabus for the course “Digitalization of Education in the Context of Sustainable Development and Internationalization” was developed in Ukrainian and English;
  • a module on digitalization of education, sustainable development, and internationalization (in English) was developed and integrated into educational and research programs;
  • a series of webinars for PhD students on internationalization of science, open science, and digital transformation of education was conducted.

Within the SIN-NEC project, the Institute co-organized two international scientific and practical conferences dedicated to teachers’ digital competence and the use of immersive technologies in education. These events served as platforms for experience exchange between Ukrainian and international scholars.

Within the framework of the SIN-NEC project, the Institute acted as a co-organizer of two international scientific and practical conferences dedicated to teachers’ digital competence and the use of immersive technologies in education. The conferences served as platforms for experience exchange between Ukrainian and international researchers.

In addition, the results of the project implementation were presented:

  • at the Round Table “Internationalization as a Driver of Research-Based Education” (Erasmus+ Office in Ukraine);
  • during the Workshop “Sustainability in Higher Education: The SIN-NEC Best Practices”, where the best practices of educational digitalization developed by the Institute for Digitalization of Education of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine were showcased.

Within the project implementation, the following information resources are supported and further developed:

Project Team

Svitlana Lytvynova, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine
Oksana Ovcharuk, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor
Mariya Shyshkina, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Senior Researcher
Maiia Marienko, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Senior Researcher
Yuliia  Nosenko, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Senior Researcher
Alisa Sukhikh, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Senior Researcher