Cooperation and academic exchanges between Ukrainian and Chinese universities: the methodological specificity of research

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Lviv Polytechnic National University

Cooperation and academic exchanges between Ukrainian and Chinese universities: the methodological specificity of research

Nataliya Mukan, Yixuan Wang

The article is devoted to highlighting the research methodology chosen for the study of cooperation and academic exchanges between Ukrainian and Chinese universities. The aim of the article is as follows: to substantiate the research methods chosen for the study of cooperation and academic exchanges development between Ukrainian and Chinese universities. The article presents the results of analysis of scientific and pedagogical literature on the problem under research. It is justified that a multidisciplinary research approach is necessary to examine the growing trend of internationalised academic exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and Ukrainian universities, and this research offers a thorough analysis from the perspectives of sociology, educational policy, history, and other academic fields. In this study a variety of particular research methods, such as case studies, background analyses, qualitative research, and literature research are employed. Analysing significant educational policies and legal documents is a crucial part of the literature research approach for comprehending educational collaboration. The background analysis seeks to comprehend and clarify the context, background, and pertinent elements of the research issue. Qualitative research methodologies can be used to investigate the evolution of academic exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and Ukrainian universities, providing insight into the requirements and motives of these universities about cooperation and educational exchanges. The case study method looks closely and thoroughly at a particular situation to carry out an extensive, thorough, and in-depth analysis of a particular example, such as an occasion, group, person, or social phenomena.

Key words: China, education system, globalization, higher education, international collaboration, international education, research methods, research on academic exchanges and cooperation development, students, Ukraine, university, university faculty.

Мукан Наталія, Ван Ісюань

Співпраця та академічні обміни між університетами України та Китаю: методологічна специфіка дослідження

Стаття присвячена висвітленню методології дослідження, обраної для вивчення співпраці та академічних обмінів між українськими та китайськими університетами. Метою статті є обґрунтування методів, обраних для дослідження розвитку співпраці та академічних обмінів між університетами України та Китаю. У статті наведено результати аналізу науково-педагогічної літератури з досліджуваної проблеми. Обґрунтована, що мультидисциплінарний дослідницький підхід необхідний для вивчення зростаючої тенденції щодо інтернаціоналізації академічних обмінів і співпраці між китайськими та українськими університетами. І це дослідження пропонує висвітлення ретельного аналізу цього явища з перспективи соціології, освітньої політики, історії та інших наукових галузей. У дослідженні використовуються різноманітні методи дослідження, такі як кейс-метод, контекстний аналіз, якісні методи дослідження та аналіз літератури. Аналіз важливих політичних рішень у сфері освіти і правових документів є важливою частиною аналізу джерельної бази для розуміння співпраці в освіті. Аналіз контексту має на меті сприяти розумінню його особливостей і відповідних елементів проблеми дослідження. Методи якісного дослідження можна використати для вивчення розвитку академічних обмінів і співпраці між китайськими та українськими університетами, з усвідомленням вимог і мотивів університетів щодо розвитку співпраці та освітніх обмінів. Метод кейсів дозволяє уважно і ретельно розглянути конкретну ситуацію, щоб провести широкий, ретельний і глибокий аналіз конкретного прикладу для вивчення окремого випадку, групи, особи або соціального явища.

Ключові слова: Китай, система освіти, глобалізація, вища освіта, міжнародна співпраця, міжнародна освіта, методи дослідження, дослідження розвитку академічних обмінів і співпраці, студенти, Україна, університет, викладачі університету.

Introduction

People are becoming more and more conscious of the need of modernising education and strengthening the country with talent and science and technology to bring it back to life. The struggle for educational resources and talent development is ultimately intimately related to the rising levels of global competition. Globalisation is the main topic of education in today's multipolar world. To improve operations and further university development, universities regularly arrange for staff and students to participate in foreign exchange programmes, support development cooperation between the two parties, and hold a number of academic exchanges. It also serves as a way to create the academic framework required to keep cultivating creative brilliance from a global viewpoint.

It is evident that contemporary scientists investigate many facets of collaboration and scholarly interchange among colleges across different nations: the impact of global collaboration on the advancement of higher education (Chou, & Ching, 2020; van Der Wende, 2015) as well as international cooperation's impact on university development (Edwards, Moschetti, & Caravaca, 2022; Gan, 2021; Li, 2018; Pham, Hoang, Lai, Dong, & et al., 2022). Our study is devoted to the analysis of cooperation and academic exchanges between Ukrainian and Chinese universities. So it is obvious that we should justify the chosen research methodology.

The aim of the article is to substantiate the research methods chosen for the study of cooperation and academic exchanges development between Ukrainian and Chinese universities.

Research results

A multidisciplinary research approach is necessary to examine the growing trend of internationalised academic exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and Ukrainian universities, and this research offers a thorough analysis from the perspectives of sociology, educational policy, history, and other academic fields. In order to lay a solid foundation for future research, it is first necessary to gather, arrange, condense, and analyse pertinent historical material. It also needs to sort through the development characteristics of Chinese and Ukrainian universities from a pedagogical standpoint, as well as the evolution of the internationalisation process. Second, as social policy and other elements are involved in the analysis of the dynamics and effects of internationalisation development in Chinese and Ukrainian universities, research views from the fields of sociology and educational policy must be borrowed.

Particular research methods are the instruments and means by which new phenomena and things can be found, new ideas and points of view can be advanced, or the underlying laws of the objects under study can be revealed. This study employed a variety of particular research methods, such as case studies, background analyses, qualitative research, and literature research.

The goal of the widely used literature research method is to investigate a particular topic, issue, or field by methodically gathering, arranging, assessing, and analysing valid literature. It is an approach to study that draws on the body of literature already in existence and is used to synthesise and assess previous findings, comprehend the state and direction of the field, and offer a theoretical framework and point of reference for one's own investigations (Morse, 2020).

The theoretical research, conceptual analysis, and literature reviews are typically conducted using the literature research approach. Its primary goal is to compile, evaluate, and synthesise pertinent data and viewpoints from the body of current literature that is relevant to the research question. In order to inform their own study design, theoretical development, and empirical analysis, researchers can gain an understanding of the most recent advancements, theoretical frameworks, methodologies, and findings in the field through the literature research approach. Social research relies heavily on documentation since it shapes historical practice and social reality in addition to reflecting historical occurrences and social reality.

Since this study focuses on Ukraine and China as its primary research subjects, the gathering of literature on these two countries serves as a guarantee for the study's validity. Simultaneously, government policy documents, studies from educational research institutes, and research findings from pertinent scholars are needed as literature for the growth and progress of internationalised education methods in Chinese and Ukrainian universities. In order to comprehend the background, history, present circumstances, experience, and challenges of collaboration and academic exchanges between Ukrainian and Chinese universities from both vertical and horizontal levels, one of the key research methods for this study is the literature research method.

1. Using the literature research method, one can grasp the foundation of research in this field by sorting and analysing pertinent studies on state-to-state cooperation in education, state-to-state cooperation between China and Ukraine, and the model of state-to-state cooperation between the two countries. The goal of the literature research approach is to gather all pertinent resources in the horizontal span as well as historical texts that highlight the temporal span. While historical research focuses on chronological order through inductive logical analysis, literature research is more extensive and deductive, drawing conclusions from a comprehensive collection of relevant books on a certain topic. This study mainly collects data from online digital platforms and China Knowledge Network Database (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, 2022), monographs, periodical papers, etc. related to topics and keywords such as “international education”, “study abroad education”, "One belt, One road”, “internationalization of higher education”, “educational exchange between Chinese and foreign universities”, “international exchange education”, etc. material to sort out the exchange and cooperation between Ukraine and China. The conclusions of relatable studies are compiled and assessed, and the features of their theoretical underpinnings, research themes, and research methodologies are examined (Mukan, & Kozubska, 2021; Mukan, & Zapotichna, 2021). As the study of international educational cooperation and exchange encompasses a wide range of topics, including the nation's political climate, educational policies, economic policies, the process of higher education internationalisation, international politics, and foreign relations, we pay attention to national policies, international relations, and theories of internationalisation of higher education related to international student education while conducting literature reviews. This helps to define the purpose and scope of the research, summarise the findings of previous studies, and investigate the current trend of exchanges and cooperation between Ukraine and China within a more comprehensive framework.

Analysing significant educational policies and legal documents is a crucial part of the literature research approach for comprehending educational collaboration (Мукан, & Гаврилюк, 2021a, 2021b). Through a review of pertinent literature on international exchange, international educational cooperation, and internationalisation of higher education, this study defines and analyses the ideas and theoretical foundations. Simultaneously, the research status of international educational exchange, etc. is grasped by a thorough review of pertinent domestic and international literature, which establishes the groundwork for the research ideas and directions of the research. The measures and strategies of boosting

internationalisation and international educational exchange in the nations under investigation are acquired by analysing the internationalisation of higher education and the study abroad exchange programmes for students in colleges and universities, etc. We obtained the theoretical foundation for studying China and Ukraine in international academic exchanges and cooperation in education, as well as applied research methods that integrate theory and practice of international educational exchange, by reviewing the literature to understand the principles and applications of the theories of the world system, communication, social capital, and social learning. Our comprehension of the current state of affairs and its outcomes has been facilitated by the literature review, which has also furnished us with a plethora of data and scholarly viewpoints for further investigation.

Another popular research method is background analysis, which is used to study and assess the problem or research topic's history in a methodical manner (Morse, 2020). In addition to provide a thorough underlying framework and theoretical underpinning for the research, it seeks to comprehend and clarify the context, background, and pertinent elements of the research issue. Research across a wide range of fields, such as the social sciences, humanities, natural sciences, etc., frequently uses background analysis. Contextual analysis aims to give researchers a thorough contextual framework for their work so they may comprehend and clarify a study question's origins, effects, and possible influencing elements. It can assist researchers in gathering pertinent data about the study issue, such as historical, social, cultural, political, economic, scientific, and technological background knowledge, in order to better comprehend the origins, implications, and potential influencing elements of research topics. The global landscape is evolving, and this will have an impact on international cooperation and political exchanges. The same holds true for exchanges and cooperation in education, while educational cooperation has unique qualities.

Background analysis is important because it gives researchers a thorough background framework that helps them better grasp the context and aspects that influence the study problem (Cohen, Manion, & Morrison, 2007). This makes it possible to characterise research topics, create research methodologies, and interpret research findings and consequences with greater precision. Context analysis is a valuable tool that helps researchers better understand the significance and contribution of their work, give context to research questions, advance the development and improvement of educational systems, and increase the amount of information available for cooperation between China and Ukraine.

The qualitative research method is a way of looking at things from the perspectives of internal regularity, conflicting changes in motion, and social phenomena or things (Cohen, Manion, & Morrison, 2007). The approach is predicated on a collection of widely accepted assumptions. The historical details of the qualitative research serve as the foundation for the analysis, which begins with the contradictions of the data and proceeds to characterise and explain the variations in the research subdisciplines as well as directly grasp the primary features of the data based on specific theories and experiences. The goal of this research methodology is to characterise, interpret, and comprehend the significance, intricacy, and features of events (Morse, 2020).

To get first-hand knowledge, qualitative research mostly employs participant observation and in-depth interviews. Action research, historical research methodologies, and participant observation are some of the specific techniques used (Cohen, Manion, & Morrison, 2007). Among these, one technique that's frequently applied in qualitative research is participant observation. One benefit of participant observation is that it allows one to witness not just the behaviours being observed, but also their motivations, attitudes, methods of exertion, and foundation for making decisions (Cohen, Manion, & Morrison, 2007).

Qualitative research methodologies can be used to investigate the evolution of academic exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and Ukrainian universities, providing insight into the requirements and motives of these universities about cooperation and educational exchanges. As a result, their requirements and objectives for cooperation become clearer. Qualitative research methods can aid researchers in developing a comprehensive understanding of the difficulties, roadblocks, and potential solutions that may arise in cross-cultural exchanges when international educational cooperation and exchange between two nations involves exchanges and cooperation between different cultures, backgrounds, and educational systems. Through various techniques such as in-depth interviews and participant observation, the researcher can acquire a deeper understanding of the cultural disparities and communication obstacles among the participants and tailor remedies accordingly.

A research method called the case study method looks closely and thoroughly at a particular situation. Its goal is to carry out an extensive, thorough, and in-depth analysis of a particular example, such as an occasion, group, person, or social phenomena (Cohen, Manion, & Morrison, 2007). In order to fully comprehend the features, dynamics, context, and influencing variables of a case, it entails meticulous observation, documenting, and analysis of one or more examples. Numerous topic areas can benefit from the application of the case study method (Morse, 2020).

The first step in doing a case study is for the researcher to choose a representative and worthy case. A case may be chosen in accordance with a number of criteria, including the study's objectives, typicality, novelty, viability, and so on. To maintain the study's focus and coherence, the researcher must then precisely identify the case's boundaries, scope, and research object. Secondly, to acquire a thorough comprehension of the attributes, background, situations, and contributing elements of the case. To gather comprehensive and multi-perspective information, data can be obtained utilising a range of methods, including literature research and archival analysis, employing numerous data sources and multiple data kinds. Data analysis is a key component in case studies (Morse, 2020). To identify the traits, trends, and connections in the case, the researcher methodically evaluates and interprets the material gathered. in addition to an analysis that combines quantitative and qualitative methods. The investigator must compile and extrapolate findings from the cases. In order to address the research questions and accomplish the goals of the study with suitable proof and justifications, these findings ought to be founded on the data analysis and theory development.

The case study approach is especially useful for those intricate, multifaceted, and unique research situations. It is frequently applied in the domains of theory development, phenomena explanation, practice reference, and policy formation. Case studies do, however, have certain drawbacks, including the representativeness, generalizability, and extrapolation of specific examples. For a thorough examination, the case study methodology should therefore be used in conjunction with other research techniques.

Conclusions

In order to conduct a thorough study of academic cooperation and exchanges between faculty and students from China and Ukraine, the article presents the research methods (literature research method, background analysis, qualitative research method, the case study method) while taking into account the findings of scientific research in pedagogy, educational policy, philosophy, sociology, history, and other fields.

It is concluded that, under the direction of research technique and theoretical underpinnings, academic cooperation and exchange between Chinese and Ukrainian universities is quite valuable. Using the right research techniques can help shed light on the causes, consequences, and workings of scholarly collaboration and exchange. Academic cooperation and faculty and student exchanges between universities in China and Ukraine enhance the complementary educational resources available in both countries, leading to improved teaching and learning quality. This is achieved through efficient organisation and support in practice, as well as through scientific research, knowledge and innovation development, and dissemination.

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