The 2025 TURBO Annual Conference “Higher Education, Capacity Building, and Societal Crises: International Perspectives” was held on September 22–24, 2025, at Kozminski University in Poland. Bringing together leading academics and practitioners, the event created a platform for dialogue on how universities worldwide can adapt to uncertainty, build resilience, and drive social transformation in times of crisis.

Organized within the framework of the TURBO project “The Universities’ Reaction to Big Obstructions: Building Resilient Higher Education to Respond and Manage Societal Crises” (Project: 101129315-TURBO-Erasmus-EDU-2023-CBHE, funded by the European Union), the conference united teams from partner universities to exchange experiences, share innovative practices, and explore new models of higher education’s role in addressing societal challenges.

Participants discussed critical topics, including the role of universities in post-crisis recovery, international collaboration, risk management strategies, and the retraining of internally displaced persons and migrants. A special Young Scholar Track showcased the work of Ph.D. students and early-career researchers, ensuring that the next generation of academics contributes to shaping resilient education systems.

Chernihiv Polytechnic National University was represented at the conference by the following scholars:

• Kateryna Maksom, Head of the Department of Social Work and Project Coordinator from CPNU, participated in the Steering Committee Meeting;
• Nadiia Nahorna, Dean of the Faculty of Social Technologies, Health and Rehabilitation, presented research on “Students’ Awareness of Social Entrepreneurship as a Tool for Social Reintegration in Crisis Conditions”;
• Dmytro Mekhed, Associate Professor of the Department of Cybersecurity and Mathematical Modeling, examined “Integrating Digital and Natural Science Components in Universities as a Strategy for Recovery and Development”;
• Mykola Zlobin, Ph.D. student, contributed to the Young Scholar Track with research on “Forecasting Corporate Bankruptcy Using Machine Learning Techniques”.

In the digital sessions, CPNU scholars also contributed actively:

• Nataliia Kholiavko, Associate Professor of the Department of Finance, Banking and Insurance, moderated a session and presented “Model of the Post-War Recovery of Border Universities of Ukraine in the Digitalization Era under the Sustainable Development Concept”;
• Anna Verbytska, Associate Professor of the Department of Social Work, presented “Enhancing Social Cohesion through Participatory Model”;
• Volodymyr Bazylevych, Director of the Educational-Scientific Institute of Electronic and Information Technologies, presented “Predictive Analytics Models for Academic Risk Management in Ukrainian Universities”.

The conference underscored the essential role of higher education in fostering resilience, advancing sustainable recovery, and building stronger international partnerships. Its outcomes contribute not only to academic research but also to shaping practical strategies for universities worldwide as they face societal crises.

Read an article featuring Kateryna Maksom’s reflections from the conference and its and on its significance: Kateryna’s university has been hit by bombs three times – still teaching.

The TURBO project “The Universities’ Reaction to Big Obstructions: Building resilient higher education to respond and manage societal crises” (101129315-TURBO-Erasmus-EDU-2023-CBHE) aims to increase the resilience, preparedness and responsiveness of Ukrainian higher education institutions (HEIs) by building their capacities, improving competencies and sharing experiences. This project has received funding from the European Union (ERASMUS-EDU-2023-CBHE) under Grant Agreement No. 101129315.

This material reflects only the views of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official position of the European Union.

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