On May 28, 2025, Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University hosted a major scientific and practical event titled “Improving the Methodology for Assessing Scientific Research in Ukraine: Experience of EU Countries.” The event brought together key stakeholders in the reform of research assessment in Ukraine, including representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Council of Vice-Rectors for Research, experts from higher education institutions, international partners of the EDUC-WIDE project, and the wider academic community.

The program of the event addressed central issues of the reform: from the regulatory framework of the new national attestation system and the role of URIS, to the principles of responsible research assessment based on COARA and DORA. Special attention was paid to qualitative indicators, which are increasingly recognized in international practice as a valuable complement to traditional quantitative metrics.

Opening remarks were delivered by Hryhorii Mozolevych, Director General of the Directorate for Science of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine; Volodymyr Pavlikov, Chair of the Council of Vice-Rectors for Research; and Michal Petr, Head of the Scientometric Support Center at Masaryk University and leader of Work Package 3 of the EDUC-WIDE project. In the main session, Valentina Yakubiv, First Vice-Rector of PNU and expert of EDUC-WIDE, presented the national and European context of research assessment reform. Volodymyra Boichuk, Professor of Applied Physics and Materials Science, introduced the principles of assessment based on the COARA methodology and its potential implementation at the institutional level.

During the practical session, participants took part in a workshop where they analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of the current Ukrainian assessment system, developed ideas for its improvement, and proposed action points for both national and institutional levels. These insights will inform the strategic recommendations of Work Package 4 of the EDUC-WIDE project.

Online presentations were delivered by Professor Ramón A. Feenstra (Jaume I University, Spain), who shared his university’s experience with implementing the COARA Agreement, and Professor Luciano Colombo (University of Cagliari, Italy), who presented the vision of Open Science as a foundation for a modern research assessment system.

We sincerely thank all speakers, participants, and partners for fostering an inspiring atmosphere of collaboration. The event reaffirmed that a meaningful reform of research assessment in Ukraine is possible only through dialogue, experience exchange, and shared responsibility for the future of the research ecosystem.