NEW-TYPE UNIVERSITIES IN THE ARCHITECTURE OF SMART ECONOMY AND POST-WAR RECONSTRUCTION OF UKRAINE

Abstract

The article explores the directions of implementing the concept of smart economy through the formation of a new network of Ukrainian universities as key centers of intellectualization, production of scientific and educational products and post-war economic recovery. The impact of the war on the functioning of higher education institutions is analyzed: a sharp reduction in the university network, relocation of HEIs, loss of material and technical base and growth of digital inequality. It is shown that these processes reduce the ability of universities to provide high-quality training, generate innovations and perform the functions of intellectual centers of regional development. Particular attention is paid to the role of universities in smart clusters - integrated structures that combine business, state, IT sector and scientific institutions. It is proven that universities form the intellectual core of such clusters, providing training of highly qualified specialists, launching startups, developing digital models, conducting analytical research and testing innovative solutions. The importance of innovative digital consortia that create inter-university platforms for data exchange, shared use of laboratories, and implementation of large-scale research programs is highlighted, which allows reducing resource inequality and accelerating digital transformation. Directions for modernizing university infrastructure in accordance with the requirements of the smart economy are proposed: the development of digital campuses, the creation of R&D centers and artificial intelligence laboratories, the development of innovation hubs and accelerators, the formation of inter-university digital networks, the strengthening of cybersecurity systems, and the renewal of the physical educational environment. The need for a national strategy for the digital transformation of higher education institutions and the introduction of a system for measuring the digital maturity of universities as a tool for strategic management and integration into the smart economy is substantiated.