On April 16, 2026, Bratislava University of Economics and Management (BUEM) successfully completed realization of research projects funded by the European Union. The projects responded to a call announced by the Government Office of the Slovak Republic, acting as the Implementing Body for Component 9 of the Recovery and Resilience Plan, entitled: “Scholarships for excellent researchers endangered by the war conflict in Ukraine.” The aim of the call was to support excellent researchers whose careers have been jeopardized by the war in Ukraine in establishing themselves in Slovakia. The following Slovak universities and higher education institutions participated in the call:

-        7 public higher education institutions,

-        3 private higher education institutions,

-        and other institutions.

In total, more than 100 institutions took part in this call.

Table 1: Statistics on participation in the call by Slovak universities and higher education institutions

Bratislava University of Economics and Management was one of the two higher education institutions that succeeded in obtaining the highest number of projects, with a total of 12.

The projects were approved for 12 Ukrainian researchers, of whom only 8 were ultimately able to participate. The researchers represented levels R1 through R4.

R1 – PhD student

R2 – postdoctoral researcher

R3 – independent researcher

R4 – leading researcher

Four researchers were unable to carry out their projects due to the ban on border crossing for men under the age of 60 (military obligation) and for health reasons. The researchers were tasked with meeting the established milestones through publication outputs in journals indexed in SCOPUS and Web of Science, active participation in international scientific conferences, publication of research results in the BUEM scientific journal, as well as lectures for academic staff, doctoral students, and BUEM students.

In terms of publication activity, BUEM researchers achieved outstanding results. Over the entire duration of the projects, 34 scientific papers were published in journals indexed in the international Web of Science and SCOPUS databases, while the target value had been set at 21. Among the most significant outputs were publications in SCOPUS Q1 and Q2 journals and WoS Q2 and Q3 journals. In addition, each researcher published an article in the BUEM scientific journal Public Administration and Regional Development – Economics, Management and Marketing, thereby fulfilling the target for publications in the institutional journal at 100%. Ukrainian researchers participated in international conferences, contributing to the international visibility of our university’s research and enabling the establishment of new scientific partnerships. An integral part of the project activities was also the dissemination of research results within the BUEM academic community. Each researcher delivered two selected lectures for university staff each year. The lecture topics directly reflected current research findings.

In the field of research, Ukrainian researchers were involved not only in projects they had implemented in Ukraine, but also in research projects carried out by the Internal Grant Agency of Bratislava University of Economics and Management.

The research activities covered a broad range of thematic areas—from the management of tourism infrastructure development and the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine, through artificial intelligence, computer vision, and machine learning in education, the transformation of higher education and the modelling of socio-economic processes, to the management of the innovation potential of enterprises and intangible assets. This thematic diversity reflects the interdisciplinary character of the research environment at Bratislava University of Economics and Management and its ability to respond to current challenges of the European and global economy.

The benefits for Ukrainian researchers involved in the projects included:

-        continuity of research,

-        safe conditions for research,

-        financial support for research and publications,

-        uninterrupted professional growth,

-        new contacts and cooperation.

The benefits for Bratislava University of Economics and Management included:

-        involvement in new areas of research,

-        joint participation in research related to Ukrainian projects,

-        co-authorship of publication outputs of an excellent standard,

-        the establishment of new partnerships,

-        the enrichment of the scientific journal of Bratislava University of Economics and Management with high-quality research outputs and other benefits.

At the ceremonial gathering held on the occasion of the successful completion of the projects, attended by the State Secretaries of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic, and the Director General of the Research Agency, the following Ukrainian researchers received certificates from the Rector of BUEM, Dr. h. c. assoc. prof. Ing. Ľuboš Cibák, PhD., MBA, and H.E. Myroslav Kastran, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine to Slovakia:

Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics:

·        prof. Olena Rayevnyeva, DSc.

·        prof. Svitlana Labunska, DSc.

·        prof. Volodymyr Yermachenko, PhD.

National Technical University “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute”:

·        prof. Olga Cherednichenko, DSc.

·        assoc. prof. Ing. Oksana Ivashchenko, PhD.

Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University:

·        assoc. prof. Ing. Liliia Shumyliak, PhD.

Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics:

·        assoc. prof. Ing. Olena Yakovleva, PhD.

Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv:

·        assoc. prof. Ing. Ninel Seniuk, PhD.

The three-year period represented an exceptionally successful time for the research activities of Bratislava University of Economics and Management, and we would like to thank all Ukrainian researchers, colleagues, and staff members who helped the Ukrainian researchers become involved in the projects and build new friendships.

All established project milestones were met or exceeded, the researchers achieved publication outputs of high international quality, and they actively contributed to the advancement of scientific knowledge in areas relevant to European education and economic policy.

The implementation of the projects also confirmed the ability of Bratislava University of Economics and Management to use European funds effectively and achieve measurable results in the field of science and research.