2025 Vol. 2 No. 2
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84
ISSN 3071-9658
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Academic & Educa ional Ne wo king as a Mechanism o
he Resilience o Uni e si y Coope a ion in he Digi al E a
Vik o iia Kh u ba 1 * ● Yuliia Niki chenko 2 ● I an Balykin 3 ●
Alina Nechypo enko 4 ● Ma cus F ohme 4
1 Ebe swalde Uni e si y o Sus ainable De elopmen , Schickle s aße 5, 16225, Ebe swalde (Ge many). P o esso ,
Doc o .
2 Ebe swalde Uni e si y o Sus ainable De elopmen , Schickle s aße 5, 16225, Ebe swalde (Ge many). Doc o .
3 Uni e si ä Mannheim, 68131 Mannheim (Ge many). Doc o .
4 Technical Uni e si y o Applied Sciences, Hochschul ing 1, 15745, Wildau, Ge many (Ge many). P o esso ,
Doc o .
* Co esponding Au ho , e-mail: Vik o iia.Kh u [email protected]
ARTICLE INFO
ABSTRACT
Resea ch A icle
Recei ed:
14 May 2025
Re ised:
20 June 2025
Accep ed:
30 June 2025
Published online:
15 July 2025
Copy igh © 2025
by au ho
This is an open access
jou nal and all
published a icles a e
licensed unde a
C ea i e Commons
A ibu ion—
NonComme cial 4.0
In e na ional
(CC BY-NC 4.0)
DOI: 10.5281/
zenodo.17707764
The a icle in es iga es he e olu ion o digi al educa ional ne wo ks as ins umen s o
esilience and sus ainabili y wi hin Ge man-Uk ainian highe educa ion coope a ion. I s
p ima y objec i e is o analyze how academic ne wo king con ibu es o main aining
educa ional con inui y, os e ing inno a ion, and s eng hening ins i u ional adap abili y
unde c isis condi ions. The s udy ocuses on wo ep esen a i e ini ia i es, he Digi al
Teaching Ne wo k (DTN) and he Wildau-Kha ki IT B idge, which exempli y he
ansi ion om adi ional digi al pla o ms o in e connec ed ne wo k ecosys ems.
Me hodologically, he esea ch combines quan i a i e and quali a i e app oaches,
including an online su ey, ocus g oup discussions, and con en analysis o esponses om
185 pa icipan s ep esen ing 21 uni e si ies in bo h coun ies. This mixed-me hod design
enables a comp ehensi e unde s anding o he mo i a ional, o ganiza ional, and social
de e minan s o pa icipa ion in educa ional ne wo ks. The analysis iden i ies ou main
ca ego ies o ne wo k ac o s, ini ia o s, ac i e collabo a o s, occasional pa icipan s, and
obse e s, whose in e ac ion de ines he in e nal dynamics and esilience o such ne wo ks.
The s udy’s indings demons a e ha ne wo king se es as a key mechanism o sus aining
academic in e ac ion, enhancing educa o s’ digi al compe encies, and acili a ing
in e disciplina y collabo a ion. I u he shows ha niche educa ional ne wo ks, hose
ocused on speci ic hema ic o p o essional domains, play an inc easingly impo an ole
in ad ancing specialized expe ise and os e ing us -based pa ne ships beyond he
li espan o indi idual p ojec s. The scien i ic no el y o he a icle lies in concep ualizing
he shi om digi al pla o ms as echnical ools o educa ional ne wo ks as socio-
ins i u ional ecosys ems. P ac ically, he esul s highligh he po en ial o ne wo k-based
coope a ion o suppo he sus ainable de elopmen , mode niza ion, and
in e na ionaliza ion o Uk ainian highe educa ion in he digi al e a.
KEYWORDS
digi aliza ion o educa ion; educa ional ne wo ks; in e na ional coope a ion; uni e si y
esilience; ne wo king; digi al compe encies; niche ne wo ks
Kh u ba, V., Niki chenko, Yu., Balykin, I., Nechypo enko, A., & F ohme, M.
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In oduc ion
he con empo a y sys em o highe educa ion ope a es unde condi ions o cons an isk –
pandemics, mili a y challenges, and echnological ans o ma ions – which necessi a e a
e hinking o app oaches o eaching, educa ional managemen , and o ma s o in e uni e si y
coope a ion. One o he key d i e s o mode niza ion and adap a ion o educa ion o new eali ies
has been digi aliza ion, which ans o ms no only he me hods o eaching and lea ning bu also he
e y p inciples o c ea ing, ansmi ing, and managing knowledge.
The IT indus y was among he i s o ac i ely ad ance digi al educa ion by o e ing eache s and
s uden s a wide ange o online se ices. Du ing he COVID-19 pandemic, pla o ms such as Zoom
and Google Class oom became he mos widely used ools o ensu e he con inui y o he educa ional
p ocess in Uk aine, while he p oli e a ion o online cou ses and pla o ms ( o example, Edu ech,
Cou se a, Udemy, Udaci y (Mund, Wallo , Kh u ba, Chugai, Pa se a & Zakha o a, 2024) u ned
digi al educa ion in o a global phenomenon. In esponse o hese ans o ma ions, he Eu opean
Union adop ed The Digi al Educa ion Ac ion Plan (2021–2027), aimed a p omo ing high-quali y,
inclusi e, and sus ainable digi al lea ning (Eu opean Commission, 2025). This policy documen
emphasizes ha he u u e o educa ion is de ined no only by echnological in as uc u e bu also
by he de elopmen o digi al compe encies, inno a i e pedagogical app oaches, and he
implemen a ion o lexible lea ning o ma s, including mic o-c eden ials.
Despi e he e u n o mos uni e si ies o in-pe son lea ning, digi al educa ion con inues o emain an
in eg al componen o he con empo a y educa ional landscape. Fo coun ies expe iencing wa o
acing esou ce cons ain s, i pe o ms a sys em- o ming unc ion by ensu ing he con inui y o
lea ning, academic mobili y, and he p ese a ion o connec ions among educa o s and uni e si ies
e en unde c isis condi ions. In Uk aine, uni e si ies loca ed nea he on line o in egions egula ly
subjec ed o shelling con inue o conduc he educa ional p ocess p edominan ly online, while in
o he a eas, eaching lexibly combines online and o line o ma s depending on he secu i y si ua ion.
In addi ion, he digi aliza ion o educa ion se es as a ca alys o he eme gence o new o ma s o
in e uni e si y coope a ion ha ex end beyond indi idual p ojec s o echnical solu ions. P ac ice
demons a es ha a e p ojec unding ends, i o en becomes di icul o sus ain achie ed esul s
and main ain collabo a ion among pa ne s. The solu ion o his challenge lies in ne wo king – building
in e uni e si y ne wo ks in he ield o educa ion and academic coope a ion ha uni e educa o s and
esea che s a ound sha ed goals, opics, and ini ia i es.
Al hough educa ional ne wo ks a e no a new phenomenon, niche ne wo ks ha e acqui ed pa icula
signi icance oday. These ne wo ks a e o med a ound speci ic hema ic a eas o con ex s, p o iding
deepe expe ise, s able ho izon al connec ions among pa ne s, and os e ing long- e m ins i u ional
coope a ion beyond he du a ion o indi idual p ojec s and g an s.
Li e a u e Re iew
he issue o digi alizing highe educa ion and de eloping academic and educa ional ne wo ks
has a ac ed inc easing schola ly a en ion, as hese p ocesses signi ican ly in luence he
s a egic di ec ions o uni e si y de elopmen in he wen y- i s cen u y. Digi aliza ion
ep esen s no only a echnological inno a ion bu also a social phenomenon ha ans o ms modes
o in e ac ion, knowledge managemen , and he o ganiza ion o educa ional and academic
communi ies. I is p ecisely he combina ion o digi al echnologies and ne wo k-based models ha
gene a es a new pa adigm o uni e si y de elopmen – one cha ac e ized by openness, dynamism,
and esilience wi hin educa ional ecosys ems.
In con empo a y esea ch, such ne wo ks a e iewed as o ms o collabo a ion among highe
educa ion ins i u ions, esea ch o ganiza ions, and p o essional communi ies ha p omo e
knowledge exchange, enhance he quali y o eaching and esea ch, and con ibu e o he o ma ion
o a sha ed academic iden i y. In (Waham, As ahani, & Ul a. 2023, pp. 49–60), he challenges and
oppo uni ies o in e na ional coope a ion in highe educa ion unde condi ions o globaliza ion a e
analyzed. Jana Dlouhá, Lau a Hende son, Dana Kapi ulčino á, and Clemens Made (Dlouhá ,
Hende son, Kapi ulčino á, Made , 2018, pp. 4263–4276) explo e models o uni e si y ne wo ks
o ien ed owa d sus ainable de elopmen . The s udies in (Fan, Liu, Wang, Wan & Zhang, 2022)
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e eal he ole o academic ne wo ks in de eloping coun ies, pa icula ly in he con ex o excellence
ini ia i es aimed a s eng hening he in e na ional impac o uni e si ies.
Duanhong Zhang, Wenjia Ding, Yang Wang, and Siwen Liu (Zhang, Ding, Wang & Liu, 2022) analyze
how in e na ional collabo a ion in esea ch and co-au ho ship o scien i ic publica ions con ibu es o
he o ma ion o academic ne wo ks and enhances he pe o mance o wo ld-class uni e si ies. A
he same ime, (Bob o, 2025) examines he concep o he “digi al uni e si y” as an open ecosys em
ha combines coope a ion and compe i ion amid global challenges, including hose ela ed o
sus ainable de elopmen .
Resea che s (Lomachinska, Dob odum, Ishchuk, Pa laichuk, S upak, Shni se & Salo, 2025)
emphasize he syne gy be ween digi al ci izenship and knowledge managemen wi hin educa ional
ne wo ks, highligh ing he need o a new cul u e o in e ac ion wi h in o ma ion. Kohl, Hopkins, Ba h,
Michelsen, Dlouhá, Razak, Abidin Bin Sanusi, and Toman (Kohl, Hopkins, Ba h, Michelsen, Dlouhá,
Razak, Abidin Bin Sanusi & Toman, 2022) p opose a whole-ins i u ional app oach o sus ainabili y,
in which uni e si y ne wo ks collec i ely eo ien hei s a egies owa d in eg a ing he p inciples o
sus ainable de elopmen in o eaching, esea ch, and daily ope a ions.
A he same ime, s udy (Kh u ba, Ru ko ska & Kha chenko, 2024) demons a es a shi om gene al
heo e ical app oaches o p ac ically o ien ed in e na ional p ojec s ha unc ion as ins umen s o
add essing na ional s a egic objec i es – such as pos -wa eco e y, he in eg a ion o he
Sus ainable De elopmen Goals (SDGs), and he enhancemen o ene gy e iciency.
Despi e he subs an ial body o esea ch, mos s udies ocus on he unc ioning o academic and
educa ional ne wo ks wi hin s able sys ems. In con as , in coun ies expe iencing c ises, ne wo king
acqui es pa icula signi icance – i becomes no only an ins umen o mode niza ion bu also a
mechanism o p ese ing academic connec ions, acili a ing knowledge mobili y, and ensu ing he
con inui y o educa ion.
P oblem S a emen
he pu pose o his a icle is o analyze he expe ience o es ablishing in e uni e si y academic
and educa ional ne wo ks as ins umen s o enhancing he esilience and sus ainabili y o he
highe educa ion sys em unde c isis condi ions. The a icle p esen s he expe ience o
de eloping he Uk ainian-Ge man academic ne wo k Uk ainian-Ge man Digi al Teaching Ne wo k
(DTN), which has become a space o knowledge exchange, he engagemen o educa o s and
esea che s, and he c ea ion o a communi y o academics uni ed by sha ed alues. The ne wo k
demons a es an e olu ion om he implemen a ion o indi idual p ojec s owa d a model o
sus ainable in e uni e si y pa ne ship. Pa icula a en ion is de o ed o he ope a ion o he digi al
pla o ms DTN Moodle and Wildau-Kha ki IT B idge, a ound which ini ial pa ne ships began o o m
and which ha e since become he ounda ion o in eg a ed collabo a ion and he de elopmen o
sha ed educa ional p ac ices.
Me hods and Ma e ials
he esea ch is heo e ical and analy ical, ocused on iden i ying he p ima y challenges and
oppo uni ies o imp o ing public go e nance du ing he ans o ma ion o Uk aine's
heal hca e sys em. The me hodology elied on a sys emic and s uc u al- unc ional app oach,
in eg a ing manage ial, inancial, and legal componen s. The oolki included a no ma i e and legal
analysis o examine he ou le els o sec o egula ion (cons i u ional, gene al, special, concep ual)
and key ac s, such as he Law o Uk aine "On S a e Financial Gua an ees o Medical Se ices" and
he Concep o Financing Re o m. Compa a i e analysis was applied o assess he e ec i eness o
he "money ollows he pa ien " p inciple and s uc u al shi s in inancing. T end analysis and
s a is ical me hods we e u ilized o e alua e he dynamics o s a e heal hca e expendi u es, which
g ew nea ly nine old in ecen yea s, and he execu ion o he adjus ed annual plan (91–97%).
Resea ch ma e ials we e compiled om legisla i e ac s, MoH s a egies (including he De elopmen
S a egy un il 2030), and o icial inancial da a (2018–2024). Da a om he NSHU ega ding signed
decla a ions (o e 31 million) and in o ma ion on damaged medical acili ies (2,481 objec s, 326
comple ely des oyed) we e also used, alongside wo ks by con empo a y schola s add essing public
go e nance p oblems unde e o m and ma ial law condi ions. The applied oolki enabled he
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iden i ica ion o dispa i ies caused by wa ime challenges and subs an ia ed s a egies o
s eng hening he sec o 's esilience.
Resul s and Discussion
n Uk aine, he digi aliza ion o educa ion has gained excep ional ele ance no only due o global
ends and he de elopmen o EdTech bu , abo e all, because o he wa , which has c ea ed
unp eceden ed challenges o he educa ional sys em. The des uc ion o in as uc u e, he
eloca ion o uni e si ies, he displacemen o acul y and s uden s, and he psychological
consequences – all o hese ac o s could ha e led o he collapse o he educa ional p ocess.
Ne e heless, uni e si ies ha e demons a ed ema kable adap abili y and esilience, ensu ing he
con inua ion o lea ning h ough digi al pla o ms, hyb id o ma s, in e na ional p ojec s, and
academic ne wo ks.
The use o educa ional pla o ms has p o en e ec i e in ensu ing he accessibili y and adap abili y
o he sys em. Digi al en i onmen s c ea e no only a space o lea ning bu also a new o ma o
academic in e ac ion ha uni es ins uc o s, s uden s, and esea che s in o i ual knowledge
communi ies.
Eu opean expe ience con i ms ha ne wo k-based lea ning models and digi al pla o ms o m he
ounda ion o sus ainable de elopmen in highe educa ion. The examples o leading Eu opean
online lea ning pla o ms illus a e di e se app oaches o in eg a ing open educa ional esou ces and
os e ing in e uni e si y coope a ion (Table 1), he eby shaping a sha ed educa ional space and
s eng hening he esilience o academic sys ems.
Table 1. Analysis o Selec ed Well-Known Online Lea ning Pla o ms in Eu ope
Name
Coun y / Link
Main Focus / Type
Ad an ages
Limi a ions / Risks
I e si y
Ge many
h ps://i e si y.o g/
Massi e Open
Online Cou ses
(MOOCs) o e ed by
uni e si ies wi h
ECTS in eg a ion
Mul ilingual con en ,
pa ne ships wi h
uni e si ies, o icial
ecogni ion o
modules (ECTS).
Limi ed numbe o
cou ses in speci ic
subjec s; a ailabili y
o ce i ica es
depends on
uni e si y policies.
Fu u eLea n
Uni ed Kingdom
h ps://www. u u el
ea n.com/
MOOCs in
coope a ion wi h
uni e si ies and
business pa ne s
La ge pa ne base,
b oad hema ic
di e si y, s ong
epu a ion, high-
quali y lea ning
s uc u e.
P edominan ly
English-language
con en ; ees o
ce i ica es/deg ees;
limi ed localiza ion.
OpenHPI
Ge many
h ps://open.hpi.de
/
MOOCs in IT and
digi al echnologies
F ee o cha ge, high
quali y, egula
cou se o e ings,
s ong echnical
dep h.
Na ow
specializa ion (IT);
challenging o
audiences wi hou
echnical
backg ound.
OpenClass oo
ms
F ance
h ps://openclass o
oms.com/en/
Online lea ning
ocused on IT,
en ep eneu ship,
and digi al skills;
includes men o ship
In e ac i i y,
men o ing suppo ,
skill-o ien ed
app oach.
Highe p ice o
p emium ce i ica es;
no all cou ses ca y
ECTS c edi s;
language limi a ions.
iMooX
Aus ia
h ps://imoox.a /m
ooc/
Public-o ien ed
MOOCs o b oad
audiences; digi al
skills and uni e si y
in oduc o y cou ses
F ee access, easy
egis a ion, ac i e
communi ies,
sui able o wide
audiences.
Smalle cou se
ca alog, limi ed
hema ic dep h, basic
ce i ica ion.
Sou ce: Compiled by he au ho s.
The analysis demons a es ha digi al educa ional pla o ms signi ican ly expand access o lea ning
oppo uni ies and con ibu e o he c ea ion o global knowledge ne wo ks. Thei s eng h lies in
openness, mul ilingualism, and he possibili y o o mal ecogni ion o lea ning ou comes ( h ough
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ECTS c edi s o ce i ica ion). A he same ime, despi e hei high le el o echnological ma u i y,
mos such pla o ms possess a uni e sal o mass-o ien ed cha ac e and a e no always capable o
mee ing he needs o na owly de ined p o essional communi ies, niche specializa ions, o local
con ex s.
I is p ecisely he e ha he po en ial o a ge ed academic and educa ional ne wo ks becomes e iden
– hose o ien ed owa d communi ies o p ac ice, p o essional ields, o speci ic socio-economic
challenges. Such ne wo ks combine he ad an ages o digi al echnologies wi h p o ound
in e pe sonal in e ac ion, making hem an impo an ins umen o he sus ainable de elopmen o
uni e si ies. They ans o m online pla o ms in o spaces o p o essional g ow h, co-c ea ion o
knowledge, and he cul i a ion o us among pa icipan s.
In his con ex , he o ma ion o in e uni e si y ne wo ks acqui es s a egic impo ance. Such
ne wo ks enable he pooling o esou ces, suppo he p o essional de elopmen o acul y, s imula e
inno a ion, and ensu e equi able access o educa ional oppo uni ies ega dless o geog aphic o
inancial cons ain s. A pa icula ly signi ican ole is played by niche educa ional ne wo ks ha
eme ge a ound speci ic hema ic a eas, p o essional communi ies, o sha ed alues. They os e
us among pa icipan s, p omo e he exchange o bes p ac ices, and sus ain collabo a ion e en
du ing pe iods o unce ain y.
In he e a o digi aliza ion, ne wo king becomes no only a o m o p o essional in e ac ion bu also a
ool o pos -p ojec de elopmen . I suppo s he academic communi y, acili a es knowledge
p ese a ion, and p o ides a space o collabo a ion and he de elopmen o ins i u ional esilience.
Thus, uni e si y ne wo ks e ol e in o li ing educa ional ecosys ems capable o sus aining inno a ion
and educa ional con inui y e en unde c isis condi ions.
The e o e, digi aliza ion and ne wo k-based models o highe educa ion a e complemen a y
p ocesses ha oge he shape a new a chi ec u e o he academic space. They con ibu e no only
o mo e e ec i e knowledge managemen bu also o he cul i a ion o a cul u e o coope a ion,
openness, and mu ual suppo . Fo Uk aine, a coun y endu ing wa , ne wo king se es a pa icula ly
i al unc ion – ensu ing he esilience o he educa ional sys em and es o ing he po en ial o
uni e si ies h ough collec i e ac ion and digi al pla o ms.
F om Pla o m o Ne wo k: The E olu ion o a Digi al Space o Collabo a ion
ha digi aliza ion and ne wo k-based app oaches o m he ounda ion o he sus ainable
de elopmen o uni e si ies and p omo e hei in eg a ion in o global educa ional spaces has
al eady been con i med by a numbe o success ul examples. A he same ime, a key condi ion
o ans o ming such digi al ini ia i es in o sus ainable educa ional ecosys ems is hei abili y o
pe sis and e ol e beyond he comple ion o unding.
An illus a i e example o such a ansi ion is he e olu ion o he DTN Moodle pla o m, c ea ed
wi hin he amewo k o he Uk ainian–Ge man p ojec Digi al Teaching Ne wo k o he
T ans o ma ion o En i onmen al Educa ion (2022–2024, DAAD (Uk aine digi al: Ensu ing academic
success in imes o c isis, 2025; Uk ainian Ge man Teaching Ne wo k o a Digi al T ans o ma ion o
En i onmen al Educa ion, 2025; Uk ainian-Ge man Teaching Ne wo k o a Digi al T ans o ma ion
o En i onmen al Educa ion (Consolida ion and Expansion Phase 2023), 2025; Uk ainian-Ge man
Teaching Ne wo k o a Digi al T ans o ma ion o En i onmen al Educa ion (Consolida ion and
Expansion Phase 2024), 2025; Uk ainian-Ge man Teaching Ne wo k o a Digi al T ans o ma ion o
En i onmen al Educa ion (Consolida ion and Expansion Phase 2025), 2025), and in 2025 suppo ed
by The Ha ald Ch is Founda ion o Democ acy and Di e si y (Die Ha ald Ch is S i ung ü
Demok a ie und Viel al , 2025)), in o he iable academic and educa ional ne wo k Uk ainian–
Ge man Digi al Teaching Ne wo k (DTN) (Uk ainian-Ge man Digi al Teaching Ne wo k, 2025).
Ini ially, he DTN Moodle pla o m had a p ima ily unc ional pu pose – o se e as he echnical
in as uc u e o hos ing elec onic cou ses de eloped by ins uc o s om Uk ainian and Ge man
uni e si ies. This solu ion became c i ically impo an in esponse o he ou b eak o wa in Uk aine
and he esul ing c isis phenomena in he ield o highe educa ion. Uni e si ies los pa s o hei
physical in as uc u e, ins i u ions we e eloca ed, and a signi ican numbe o acul y membe s and
s uden s we e o ced o mo e ab oad. Unde hese condi ions, he pla o m ensu ed (wi hin speci ic
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cou ses) he con inui y o he educa ional p ocess by enabling s uden s o con inue hei s udies
ega dless o loca ion, while allowing ins uc o s o main ain p o essional ac i i y and sus ain
communica ion wi h s uden s and colleagues.
Today, DTN Moodle unc ions as an open eposi o y hub ha in eg a es he esou ces, expe ience,
and pedagogical inno a ions o pa ne uni e si ies. Facul y membe s upload hei own cou ses o
he pla o m, while s uden s gain con inuous access o lea ning ma e ials in a con enien online
o ma . In pa allel, he p ojec has p omo ed he enhancemen o ins uc o s’ digi al compe encies
and he imp o emen o didac ic app oaches h ough webina s, ainings, and wo kshops in which
pa icipan s ha e mas e ed con empo a y me hods o online eaching, digi al didac ics, gami ica ion,
mul imedia con en c ea ion, and he use o VR echnologies in educa ion.
Thanks o DAAD unding (Uk aine digi al: Ensu ing academic success in imes o c isis, 2025) and
he coo dina ion o he Ebe swalde Uni e si y o Sus ainable De elopmen (HNEE) (Ebe swalde
Uni e si y o Sus ainable De elopmen , 2025), he DTN Moodle pla o m g adually expanded o
include 18 Uk ainian and 4 Ge man uni e si ies. Be ween 2022 and 2025, mo e han 50 cou ses and
modules we e c ea ed on DTN Moodle ac oss wel e ca ego ies, and se e al VR ou s o p o ec ed
na u al a eas we e de eloped and in eg a ed. Among egis e ed use s, he majo i y a e acul y
membe s and s uden s specializing in Ecology, En i onmen al P o ec ion, and In o ma ion
Technology om a ious egions o Uk aine. Since he p ojec was ini ially aimed a suppo ing
eaching and lea ning speci ically o s uden s and ins uc o s in he ields o Ecology and
En i onmen al P o ec ion Technologies, hese g oups became he p ima y use s o he pla o m, wi h
he audience g adually expanding o o he disciplines as pa ne ships wi h addi ional uni e si ies
de eloped.
Du ing he same pe iod, a se ies o hema ic webina s we e conduc ed wi h he pa icipa ion o mo e
han 200 ins uc o s, along wi h in-pe son wo kshops a he Ebe swalde Uni e si y ha b ough
oge he o e 55 pa icipan s, as well as 15 eaching mobili ies o acul y membe s om Uk ainian
highe educa ion ins i u ions. Expe s om pa ne Ge man uni e si ies – including he Uni e si y o
Mannheim (Uni e si y o Mannheim, 2025) and he Ebe swalde Uni e si y o Sus ainable
De elopmen – we e in ol ed in conduc ing he ainings and wo kshops, he eby enhancing he
e ec o mu ual lea ning and b oadening he scope o in e na ional coope a ion. Fu he mo e,
ins uc o s om he Uni e si y o Mannheim, he Technical Uni e si y o Applied Sciences Wildau,
and he Uni e si y o G ei swald uploaded se e al online cou ses o he DTN Moodle pla o m,
making hem accessible o Uk ainian s uden s and demons a ing a p ac ical example o eal
in eg a ion o educa ional esou ces wi hin a sha ed digi al space.
The join de elopmen o cou ses, con inuous communica ion wi hin wo king g oups, and ac i e
ne wo king du ing bo h online and o line e en s c ea ed a s ong ounda ion o he de elopmen o
pa ne ships be ween uni e si ies in Uk aine and Ge many. These connec ions g adually ex ended
beyond he ini ial p ojec , gi ing ise o new join esea ch ini ia i es, in e ins i u ional collabo a ions,
and educa ional p ojec s ha ha e ecei ed suppo wi hin o he in e na ional p og ams.
Thus, he DTN Moodle pla o m has e ol ed om being me ely a echnical ool o eposi o y o
lea ning esou ces in o a dynamic en i onmen o in e ac ion, wi hin which in e uni e si y eams,
join eaching ma e ials, and inno a i e didac ic p ac ices ha e been de eloped. As a esul , DTN
Moodle has become a collabo a i e space ha b idges o mal and in o mal lea ning and has laid he
g oundwo k o he u he de elopmen o he academic and educa ional ne wo k Uk ainian-Ge man
Digi al Teaching Ne wo k (DTN).
In pa allel, wi hin he same DAAD suppo p og am (Uk aine digi al: Ensu ing academic success in
imes o c isis, 2025) and wi h addi ional unding om The Ha ald Ch is Founda ion o Democ acy
and Di e si y (Die Ha ald Ch is S i ung ü Demok a ie und Viel al , 2025), ano he p ojec – Wildau–
Kha ki IT B idge (2022–2025) (Wildau-Kha ki IT B idge "Digi al Uk aine: Ensu ing academic
success in imes o c isis”, 2025)) – was implemen ed unde he coo dina ion o he Technical
Uni e si y o Applied Sciences Wildau (Technical Uni e si y o Applied Sciences, 2025). Wi hin his
p ojec , a sepa a e digi al pla o m, Wildau–Kha ki IT B idge, was c ea ed o connec s uden s and
ins uc o s in he ields o in o ma ion echnology, enginee ing, and applied sciences.
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The pla o m is buil on Google Wo kspace (Google Wo kspace, 2025), a sui e o cloud-based ools
designed o p oduc i e collabo a ion. I includes applica ions such as Gmail, Google D i e,
Class oom, Mee , Cha , and o he s, de eloped o use by o ganiza ions unde hei own domain
name. I s co e unc ions include email communica ion, ex ended cloud s o age o educa ional
ma e ials, collabo a i e eam ools, and adminis a i e use managemen ea u es.
Be ween 2022 and 2025, he Wildau–Kha ki IT B idge I–IV p ojec b ough oge he eigh uni e si ies
om he ci y o Kha ki . Wi hin his ini ia i e, 411 educa ional modules in he ield o IT we e
de eloped, including speci ic modules o eache s ocused on in eg a ing VR and AR echnologies
in o he lea ning p ocess. Fu he mo e, since Sep embe 2022, he numbe o egis e ed use s on
he p ojec pla o m has eached 12,366 s uden s om a ious egions o Uk aine – p ima ily
specializing in compu e science – as well as 222 ins uc o s.
Mo eo e , 7,500 s uden s ecei ed ce i ica es upon success ully passing examina ions du ing he
pe iod om Sep embe 1, 2022, o June 30, 2025. This numbe con inues o g ow as ins uc ion in
he cu en semes e emains ongoing. Each yea , he p ojec o ganizes a se ies o con e ences and
ound able discussions in ol ing Uk ainian and Ge man ins uc o s and esea che s, as well as
in i ed expe s om Ge man indus y. The opics o hese con e ences encompass issues such as
he ole o digi aliza ion in Uk aine’s eco e y, he applica ion o a i icial in elligence echnologies
and cloud-based ools in science and educa ion, among o he s (Wildau-Kha ki IT B idge “Digi al
Uk aine: Ensu ing academic success in imes o c isis”, 2025).
In con as o DTN Moodle, which is p ima ily o ien ed owa d en i onmen al, pedagogical, and
in e disciplina y educa ion, he IT B idge ini ia i e has a mo e echnical p o ile and suppo s lea ning
h ough sha ed digi al esou ces, online cou ses, u o ing p og ams, and sho - e m aining o ma s.
Despi e di e ences in hei hema ic ocus and a ge audiences, bo h ini ia i es sha e a common
s a egic objec i e – o os e sus ainable pa ne ships be ween Uk ainian and Ge man uni e si ies,
s eng hen ins uc o s’ digi al compe encies, and mode nize he educa ional p ocess.
The coo dina o s o bo h p ojec s – HNEE (Ebe swalde) and TH Wildau (Wildau) – main ain ongoing
communica ion, exchange me hodological app oaches, and sha e expe iences in implemen ing
online cou ses. This in e ac ion con ibu es o he mu ual en ichmen o bo h pla o ms and helps
shape a sha ed educa ional space ha in eg a es di e se disciplina y ields and echnological
solu ions.
Th ough such ne wo king, HNEE and TH Wildau ha e e ec i ely es ablished an ins i u ional
amewo k o Ge man-Uk ainian coope a ion ha ex ends beyond indi idual p ojec s and se es as
a ounda ion o new ini ia i es. In his con ex , he Digi al Teaching Ne wo k unc ions no as a single
p ojec bu as a pla o m ha uni es p o essionals om a ious ields, suppo s bo h ho izon al and
e ical collabo a ion, and c ea es condi ions o he de elopmen o a sus ainable in e uni e si y
ecosys em o digi al lea ning.
An analysis o he e olu ion o bo h p ojec s e eals a consis en ansi ion om he pla o m as a
echnical ool o he ne wo k as a socio-ins i u ional phenomenon. While a he ini ial s age he
p ima y ocus was on he digi aliza ion o lea ning con en and he p o ision o emo e access o
educa ional esou ces, he subsequen s age has cen e ed on c ea ing condi ions o join knowledge
managemen , collec i e lea ning, and he de elopmen o sha ed esea ch and educa ional
p ac ices.
Thus, he compa a i e analysis demons a es ha DTN Moodle and Wildau-Kha ki IT B idge
encompass di e en disciplina y domains – he ecological-pedagogical and he echnical-
enginee ing, espec i ely. This di e ence is no di isi e bu , on he con a y, p o ides a ounda ion
o in e disciplina y exchange and mu ual complemen a i y. The in e ac ion be ween hese pla o ms
illus a es a ansi ion om isola ed educa ional ini ia i es owa d a mo e comp ehensi e ecosys em
ha in eg a es digi al echnologies, pedagogical app oaches, and applied scien i ic ields.
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Explo ing he P econdi ions, Mo i a ions, and Typology o Pa icipan s in Educa ional
Ne wo ks
he ansi ion om ope a ing indi idual digi al pla o ms o es ablishing sus ainable academic
and educa ional ne wo ks, as demons a ed in he p e ious sec ions, ep esen s a logical s age
in he e olu ion o in e na ional coope a ion in highe educa ion unde con empo a y
condi ions. To unde s and he essence and na u e o his p ocess, i is essen ial o examine he
ac o s ha de e mine uni e si ies and indi idual ins uc o s’ eadiness o pa icipa e in ne wo k
s uc u es, he mo i a ions ha d i e ac i e engagemen , and he ba ie s ha hinde hei
de elopmen .
A he beginning o 2025, an empi ical s udy was conduc ed among pa icipan s o he Digi al
Teaching Ne wo k (DTN) aimed a iden i ying he p econdi ions, mo i a ions, and ypology o
pa icipan s wi hin his ne wo k. This s udy ep esen ed a logical componen o he b oade analysis
o he dynamics o bo h p ojec s and pla o ms, which exempli y he ansi ion om echnical solu ions
o socio-ins i u ional o ms o coope a ion.
The s udy was based on a combina ion o quan i a i e and quali a i e me hods. A he quan i a i e
s age, an online su ey was conduc ed among pa icipan s o he Digi al Teaching Ne wo k (DTN) –
including ins uc o s, adminis a o s, IT specialis s, and p ojec coo dina o s. The su ey
encompassed 185 esponden s om 18 Uk ainian and h ee Ge man uni e si ies. The ques ionnai e
consis ed o 24 ques ions o ganized in o ou sec ions:
(1) p e ious expe ience in in e na ional and digi al educa ional ini ia i es;
(2) le el o digi al compe encies;
(3) mo i a ional ac o s o pa icipa ion in ne wo k-based p ojec s;
(4) ba ie s and needs o u he collabo a ion.
Focus g oup discussions we e also conduc ed wi h he coo dina o s and pa ne s o he ne wo k.
The da a collec ed was analyzed using con en analysis, which made i possible o iden i y key
ends, common mo i a ions, and beha io al pa e ns among pa icipan s.
The indings e ealed ha he e ec i eness and sus ainabili y o educa ional ne wo ks a e
de e mined by a combina ion o o ganiza ional, social, echnological, and con ex ual ac o s, while
he ins i u ional eadiness o uni e si ies emains a key p econdi ion o success ul engagemen in
ne wo k-based ini ia i es.
Mo e han 78 % o esponden s indica ed ha hei ins i u ion had p io expe ience pa icipa ing in
in e na ional educa ional o esea ch p ojec s, while 64 % epo ed ha digi aliza ion had al eady
been in eg a ed in o hei uni e si y’s s a egic documen s (such as de elopmen s a egies,
in e na ionaliza ion policies, o quali y assu ance p og ams). This sugges s ha engagemen in
ne wo ks is d i en p ima ily no by ex e nal incen i es bu by an in e nal eadiness o pa ne ship.
A he same ime, he esul s showed ha human and social capi al exe a decisi e in luence on he
quali y and sus ainabili y o ne wo k connec ions (Figu e 1). Fo 76 % o su eyed ins uc o s, he
main eason o pa icipa ing in he Digi al Teaching Ne wo k was he oppo uni y o p o essional
de elopmen h ough he exchange o expe ience wi h colleagues, while 65 % emphasized he alue
o in o mal suppo du ing imes o c isis and wa ime condi ions. Mo e han 60 % o pa icipan s
no ed ha communica ion and in e ac ion wi h in e na ional colleagues speci ically helped hem
adap and imp o e hei cou ses o emo e o hyb id lea ning o ma s. Thus, he ne wo k ul illed no
only an educa ional bu also a social unc ion – p o iding suppo , os e ing in e ac ion, and
s eng hening p o essional solida i y.
A he le el o p o essional mo i a ion, he p edominan d i e s include he desi e o p o essional
de elopmen (81 %), he enhancemen o digi al eaching compe encies (77 %), and he oppo uni y
o c ea e join educa ional ma e ials (63 %) (Table 2). In addi ion, e e y second ins uc o (52 %)
epo ed ha , a e pa icipa ing in DTN Moodle o IT B idge aining sessions, hey in eg a ed new
ools (such as Moodle, Men ime e , Mi o, Can a, and ThingLink) in o hei own cou ses. Fu he mo e,
43 % o esponden s indica ed ha he expe ience o join ly de eloping cou ses mo i a ed hem o
T
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pa icipa e in o he in e na ional ini ia i es ( o example, he T ansLea nN p ojec ). This
demons a es a mul iplie e ec , whe eby ini ial pa icipa ion in he ne wo k s imula es u he
p o essional g ow h and he in e na ionaliza ion o academic ac i i ies.
Figu e 1. Gene al social and p o essional mo i a ions o acul y pa icipa ion in he Digi al Teaching
Ne wo k
No es: Responden s could selec up o h ee esponse op ions. Values shown as pe cen ages o esponden s.
Figu e 2. P o essional ou comes and mo i a ion ac o s associa ed wi h pa icipa ion in he Digi al Teaching
Ne wo k
No es: Responden s could selec up o h ee esponse op ions. Values shown as pe cen ages o esponden s.
Pa icula a en ion was de o ed o he issue o us and in e pe sonal ela ionships, which unde pin
he sus ainabili y o ne wo ks. Acco ding o he esul s o he ocus g oups, 87 % o pa icipan s no ed
ha openness and willingness o coope a e be ween Uk ainian and Ge man pa ne s had inc eased
du ing he pe iod 2022–2025. This p ocess was ein o ced h ough join ac i i ies such as wo kshops,
hema ic webina s, and academic mobili y p og ams. Pa icipan s emphasized ha i was egula
communica ion and he join esolu ion o p ac ical asks – such as he de elopmen o cou ses, VR
ou s, and educa ional case s udies – ha os e ed us and du able pa ne ships.
The con ex o he wa in Uk aine has had a signi ican impac on he ole o digi aliza ion as a ac o
o esilience. Mo e han 70 % o Uk ainian esponden s indica ed ha ne wo k pla o ms – pa icula ly
76
65
60
42
38
5
010 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
P o essional de elopmen h ough pee exchange
In o mal suppo and in e ac ion du ing c isis and
wa ime condi ions
Oppo uni y o in e na ional academic communica ion
Access o new digi al eaching me hods and p ac ices
Pa icipa ion in join p ojec s and e en s
O he
81
77
63
52
48
45
44
43
42
39
33
29
27
25
010 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
P o essional de elopmen and skills enhancemen
De elopmen o digi al eaching compe encies
Oppo uni y o co-c ea e lea ning ma e ials
In eg a ion o mode n EdTech ools in o own cou ses
Expansion o in e na ional con ac s and pa ne ships
Access o inno a i e eaching app oaches
Pa icipa ion in a communi y o like-minded educa o s
Oppo uni y o join in e na ional p ojec s
Exchange o expe ience wi h colleagues om di e en …
Access o suppo and expe consul a ions
Inc eased isibili y o own academic ac i i ies
In e es in digi al ans o ma ion o educa ion
Inc eased compe i i eness on he academic job ma ke
Oppo uni y o be pa o an inno a i e educa ional…
