This study examines the state of grant writing practices in Ukrainian universities and proposes recommendations to enhance their capacity to secure external funding for research and development. Through a mixed-methods approach involving surveys and semi-structured interviews, data was gathered from researchers and faculty members. The study identifies challenges faced by Ukrainian universities in obtaining external funding and highlights important themes for improving grant-writing practices. These themes include promoting collaboration, providing resources and infrastructure, implementing language support policies, raising awareness of funding opportunities, offering institutional support, fostering a research culture, establishing internal grant review processes, leveraging international collaborations, and emphasising evaluation and learning. By addressing these themes, Ukrainian universities can improve their grant-writing practices, increase proposal competitiveness, and enhance success rates in securing external funding. This study provides valuable insights, complements existing literature, and offers practical recommendations for grant writing in Ukrainian universities.

Reinforced by the Russian war, an even stronger economic, social, and political orientation towards the values of the European Union and thus also Western economic paradigms is taking place in Ukraine. This article investigates financial literacy (FL) as the knowledge and understanding of personal finance among university students in Ukraine. Individual financial decision-making will be central to the reconstruction of Ukraine and the long-term economic growth of the country. We use the principles developed by the U.S. Council for Economic Education in modelling FL. In doing so, we examine the feasibility of using a version of the U.S. American Test of Financial Literacy translated and adapted into Ukrainian. The translation and adaptation process of the 50-item test instrument is presented in the article. Significant differences in the content of FL between Ukraine and the U.S. test instrument are highlighted. At the beginning of the winter semester 2022, the Ukrainian version was administered to 68 students at three East-Ukrainian universities (Donetsk, Sumy, Kharkiv). In the article, we present findings from the initial validation of the test instrument and show from a content perspective which hurdles need to be overcome in the future for some concepts of FL.

Globalization, digitalization, and evolving national regulations have intensified the need for rigorous quality-assurance systems to secure accreditation in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). This study asks: What theoretical contributions underpin HEI accreditation, and how have research themes evolved? Employing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Bibliometric Analysis via Biblioshiny and Vantage Point, we examined 1,252 documents indexed in Scopus® (781) and Web of Science™ (471) from 2012 to May 2025. Findings delineate three production phases—Foundation Consolidation (2012–2017), Expansion and Diversification (2017–2020), and Sustained Transformation and Innovation (2020–2025)—and three thematic perspectives: (a) Teaching and Learning Quality, (b) Technology and Sustainability as Quality Catalysts, and (c) Governance, Management, and Accountability. Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) identified three Motor Theme clusters—[1] Sustainable Development and Institutional Change, [2] Technological Pedagogy and Student Experience, and [3] Governance and Regulation—led by Spain, the United States, Chile, Colombia, the UK, Australia, and India. Conclusions underscore accreditation’s dual role as a strategic lever for institutional improvement and a competitive mechanism, with emerging focus on competency, e-learning, employability, machine learning, and sustainability. Future research should explore cross-border accreditation dynamics; the impact of AACSB and NAAC standards on business-school curriculum design and program quality; accreditation’s pedagogical effects; and leadership practices for effective implementation.