The annual NAFSA-2025 academic conference took place in San Diego (USA) on 27-30 May 2025. Participants from over 100 countries gathered to present their experience of transformations in higher education systems, trends in development of private companies operating in the education market, international rating agencies, etc. SumDU and Ukraine as a whole were represented by Mykola NAZAROV (associate professor of the Department of Psychology, Political Science, and Sociocultural Technologies).

The SumDU researcher (together with colleagues from Tel Aviv University, Frankfurt University and Gießen University) presented the report “Internationalization in Times of Crisis.” Each member of the group presented their country’s experience of transformations in the educational community during military, humanitarian, migration, and other crises. Mykola NAZAROV focused his report on the processes of internationalization at SumDU. He discussed deepening of scientific research and international cooperation since the full-scale invasion start. The presentation highlighted key areas of cooperation with University of Liverpool and the enhancement of SumDU capabilities within the Ukrainian Alliance of Universities.

According to Mykola NAZAROV, international support for SumDU, in particular from University of Liverpool, had a significant stabilizing effect and created a sense of solidarity within the academic community. Another important conclusion from SumDU wartime transformations is that expansion of international cooperation must be complemented by strengthening national networks to coordinate needs of Ukrainian universities.

In addition to presentations and discussions, meetings were held with representatives of universities and think tanks from the US and the EU. There remains a high level of sympathy and support for Ukraine in the world, as well as interest in the research being conducted by Ukrainian scientists in the war context.